For the past four years, the Duke-North Carolina basketball rivalry has produced some of the most memorable games in the country. From the thriller pitting the top two ranked teams in the country two years ago to a double-overtime battle last season to this year's one-point game, the rivalry has been unmatched.
Except for one fact: ever since their first meeting in the 1992-93 season, the Blue Devils have lost every game between the two storied programs. That's six losses in a row to the Tar Heels, matching the longest such streak in head coach Mike Krzyzewski's career.
But Sunday afternoon, the Blue Devils (18-10, 8-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) will get a chance to end that streak and lay claim to a share of third place in the conference in Cameron Indoor Stadium before a national television audience.
"This is Duke-Carolina," sophomore Ricky Price said. "They're our arch-rivals and we haven't beaten them in a while, and that's enough for me."
A win over North Carolina would be the second in a one-two punch that has seen the Heels drop five of their last eight games, including a thrashing to cross-state rival Wake Forest Tuesday night. The Tar Heels (19-9, 9-6 in the ACC) have fallen quickly after getting off to a sizzling 7-1 conference start.
While North Carolina has cooled down, the Blue Devils-winners of five straight-have emerged from the midst of the ACC pack to claim sole possession of fourth place. A 5-2 second half matched with a Tar Heel slide gives the Blue Devils a chance to make up four games in the conference standings over the course of the second half. And a win over the Tar Heels would force a tie for third place in the ACC, though North Carolina would earn the third seed in the conference tournament because of a tie-breaker rule.
"When we started out the conference, everybody wrote us off-they said it was over for Duke and we were through," Price said. "Now we can tie them for the conference. That shows pride and determination on everybody's part in this program."
After dropping four straight to open the ACC season, the Blue Devils seemingly had dug themselves a hole from which even they would be hard-pressed to recover. But senior Chris Collins' tough play and freshman Taymon Domzalski's emergence inside have led Duke to a five-game conference win streak.
"To start the season the way we did and progress as a team the way we did-that was a lot of growing up, and that's what a team needs to do," junior center Greg Newton said. "We're definitely going to come out and give them everything just like they are going to give us."
North Carolina has had struggles facing ACC teams the second time around. One of the key factors for their lack of success has been opposing teams' keying in on freshman Antawn Jamison.
Jamison, who had notched nine double-doubles before the losing skid, has seen his scoring numbers drop off considerably. Add to that a bothersome knee to 7-foot-2 Serge Zwikker, and it is clear why the Tar Heels have been reeling.
In the first meeting between the two teams this year, the Tar Heels squeaked out a one-point win on Dante Calabria's last-second putback. Price missed a potentially game-winning bucket for Duke at the buzzer to hand North Carolina another slim victory. After the game, Calabria was critical of Price and the hapless Blue Devils. But after Wednesday's clutch three-point shot, Price would seem to be back on even ground.
"I have no clue what Dante said," Price said. "But when he comes into Cameron and our crowd is pumping and we're emotional, it's going to be a whole different story."
The Cameron crowd should be lively, coming off a raucous game against defending national champion UCLA last Sunday. More than 180 tents have been pitched, marking the longest line for a Duke home game in at least four years.
"I can't remember the last time we beat them," Price said. "I want to beat UNC-we play them at home, and we have a great, great chance to beat them."
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