A few weeks ago, it looked like last night’s North Carolina-Duke matchups wouldn’t have the usual sizzle that the rivalry offers, but UNC’s recent play made last night’s game a much-anticipated one.  North Carolina seems poised for the upset, at one time boasting a 16-point lead in the game, but Duke came storming back to secure a 79-73 victory over their most heated rival.  Nolan Smith scored 22 o his career-high 34 points in the second half to help lead the Dukies back from a 14-point halftime deficit.  Seth Curry chipped in 22 in what was probably his best game as a Blue Devil.

“We had to come out with a different mindset that we were going to fight,” Curry told reporters after the game.  ”In the first half, they just beat us to every ball and every rebound.  We were just running around and weren’t really poised out there.  In the second half, we came out, really calmed down and tried to get it back one possession at a time.”  The win would have been huge for a North Carolina team that is beginning to look like an ACC contender again.  It was a tough loss for coach Roy Williams.  “To say it’s extremely disappointing would be an understatement,” Williams said.

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