CHAPEL HILL - Abby Waner may have been struggling with her long-range shooting, but the Duke sharpshooter wanted the ball when it mattered most Thursday night in Carmichael Auditorium.
With 2:39 remaining in the second half and No. 1 Duke holding onto a 55-50 lead, Waner broke No. 2 North Carolina's halfcourt pressure, dribbled to the left side of the court and took the biggest shot of the most-hyped game of the season.
She calmly swished the jumper-with her feet on the three-point line.
Waner's play in the last five minutes, combined with another gritty effort from senior Lindsey Harding and a masterful defensive performance by the whole squad was enough to propel the Blue Devils (25-0, 10-0 in the ACC) to a 64-53 win over the Tar Heels (25-1, 8-1).
"That shot was huge," head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "That shot was the dagger."
The victory ended Duke's five-game losing streak against North Carolina and kept the Blue Devils' perfect season alive.
After the final horn sounded, Waner grabbed the ball and tossed it high in the air, starting Duke's celebration. The Blue Devils had plenty of reason to rejoice-the win solidified Duke's place at the top of the polls.
But for Harding, beating North Carolina for the first time in six tries was the sweetest part.
"It's a great feeling," Harding said. "Everyone was talking about one versus two. I was thinking, 'We have to get Carolina. It's my senior year, we have to go there and beat them.'"
In the first half, Duke controlled the game behind Wanisha Smith's 17 points and led at halftime 34-29. The Tar Heels slowly chipped at the deficit, however, in the second, eventually knotting the score at 45 with 10 minutes remaining.
At that point, UNC had the ball with a chance to take the lead, and the raucous, sell-out crowd of 8,010 inside Carmichael applauded the Tar Heels' effort. For the first time, it looked as if Duke was in danger of losing.
From thereon, the atmosphere of the rivalry game-and matchup of the top-ranked teams in the country-was electric.
The Blue Devils, though, never faltered. In fact, they did not even surrender the lead.
With the score tied, Harding nailed a jumper to give Duke a 47-45 advantage. North Carolina tied the game, but the Blue Devils responded with a brief run to give them a 53-48 lead with 4:39 to go.
Waner then took a fast-break feed from Harding-who had seven assists-for another layup and then made the decisive shot from the corner. The sophomore failed to convert a three-pointer on the night, but the fact that she still scored 16 points is evidence of a more mature game, Goestenkors said. Waner relished taking the game-clinching shot, even though she was 0-5 from behind the arc.
"You can't make them if you don't take them," Waner said. "I don't know how much [Goestenkors] likes that saying."
Although Duke's offense was clutch in the final minutes, its defensive effort was ultimately responsible for the win. Harding, the Blue Devils' best defender, hounded North Carolina guard Ivory Latta all night. Latta could not find her rhythm, scoring nine points on 3-for-20 shooting. She was 0-for-11 from behind the arc.
While Harding controlled Latta, Bales masterfully dominated the Tar Heel forwards in the post. Bales finished with seven blocks, but she altered even more shots.
The star center quelled Goestenkors' biggest concern heading into the game-rebounding. The Duke coach had been concerned with her team's lackluster effort on the boards throughout the season. Behind Bales' 14 rebounds, Duke out-rebounded North Carolina 53-49-a statistic Harding said was the key to the game.
Thursday night was yet another example of the Blue Devils rising to their level of competition in a big-time environment.
"I absolutely love it," Waner said. "I don't think there is anything better than playing in this type of atmosphere."
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