No. 16 Duke bounced back in a big way, shutting down No. 8 North Carolina 68-53 on Thursday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium, snapping the Tar Heels’ perfect road record and evening the season series between the rivals.
📊 MORE: Final stats
Led by freshman standout Toby Fournier’s 19 points and 10 rebounds, the Blue Devils (22-7, 13-4 ACC) used a dominant second half to take control. Reigan Richardson added a game-high 23 points, hitting five 3-pointers, as Duke’s defense forced 20 turnovers and turned them into 25 points.
North Carolina (25-5, 13-4 ACC) entered the game 9-0 in true road contests and was coming off a gutsy comeback win at Louisville. The Tar Heels led at halftime 32-31, but Duke’s defense locked down from there and outscored UNC 21-9 in the third quarter to open up a double-digit lead.
Ashlon Jackson 🤝 Buzzer Beaters pic.twitter.com/BHJBIIts2b
— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) February 28, 2025
Duke opened that third quarter on a 10-0 run and never trailed again. The Tar Heels couldn’t find their offensive rhythm, committing nine turnovers in the second half and struggling to handle Duke’s pressure.
Lanie Grant led UNC with 17 points, and Maria Gakdeng added eight points and seven rebounds, but no other Tar Heel reached double figures until late. UNC’s bench, a strength in recent weeks, managed just four points.
For Duke, the win came at a critical moment in the ACC race and the NCAA tournament picture — both teams were revealed as projected 3-seeds in the NCAA DI committee’s second and final in-season top-16 bracket reveal, announced just before Thursday’s tipoff. The Blue Devils improved to 12-1 at home this season and claimed their first ranked win since mid-January.
The rivalry win gives Duke a chance to close the regular season strong when it visits No. 24 Florida State on Sunday. Meanwhile, UNC returns home for Senior Day against Virginia, looking to regroup before conference tournament play begins.
