On Saturday, all the coverage stops were pulled out for retiring Duke Blue Devils’ coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game (which saw tickets going for record prices, with an average cost of $5,392 a week before the game). ESPN alone provided one full alternate feed and two other alternate camera angles, in addition to days of pre-game coverage. (They had to start the game on ESPN2, though, thanks to Texas-Kansas going to overtime.) But the unranked visiting North Carolina Tar Heels proved more than up to spoiling the night for the #4 Blue Devils, coming away with a 94-81 win. Here are some highlights from that:
👌👌👌 @BradyManek
📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/oPlWgdkziS
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) March 6, 2022
ARMANDO BACOT!
UNC is going to pull off an upset over Duke in Coach K’s final home game. pic.twitter.com/6yVFPuj69A
— Heat Check CBB (@HeatCheckCBB) March 6, 2022
North Carolina silences Cameron with a 94-81 upset over No. 4 Duke 😯 @UNC_Basketball | #CarolinaFamily pic.twitter.com/XpZFN1Vvzr
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) March 6, 2022
Armando Bacot led UNC with 23 points (on 10 of 11 shooting from the field) and seven rebounds, while Brady Manek added 20 points and 11 rebounds. Caleb Love (seen driving at top) had 22 points and five rebounds, while R.J. Davis added 21 points and five rebounds. Meanwhile, for Duke, Paolo Banchero led the way with 23 points, but made only 11 of his 26 shots from the field. Starters Mark Williams and Trevor Keels also hit double digits in points (16 and 12 respectively), as did off-the-bench contributor Jeremy Roach (15 points), but that wasn’t enough for the Blue Devils to get a win here.
All in all,the Tar Heels came up with a very impressive win in a difficult road environment. And they certainly spoiled Coach K’s farewell to his home crowd.
[ESPN; photo from Rob Kinnan/USA Today Sports]
