The 238th chapter in college basketball’s fiercest rivalry took place on Wednesday night.
The 15th-ranked University of North Carolina Tar Heels traveled eight miles across Interstate 85 to take on the fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils in what would be one of the most exciting games of the season.
Tight play in the first half gave way to an unexpected Tar Heel lead after halftime. Still, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski managed to calm his young team — which closed an 11-point deficit with minutes left to send the game into overtime — and rallied around the play of freshman big man Jhalil Okafor to bring the cross-town bragging rights back to Durham.
WATCH:
Duke ended up winning by a final score of 92-90.
Despite the bitter nature of this rivalry, both teams came together to honor the late UNC legend, Dean Smith, before the game. (RELATED: Former UNC Basketball Coach Dean Smith, Dead At 83)
WATCH:
When he retired in 1997, Smith was the winning-est coach in NCAA basketball history. That mark was eventually passed by Duke’s Coach K, the only Division I coach with over 1,000 wins.