During the last five seasons, a traditional ACC clash has turned into a rivalry as Virginia has grown into one of the nation's elite programs. Although Duke has met the Cavaliers on just six occasions in that stretch—this will be the first time since 2010-11 that the teams play twice in the regular season—there have been plenty of thrilling matchups.
With the Blue Devils set to host the next edition of the budding rivalry Saturday evening, The Chronicle looks back at the best games in recent series history.
5. Feb. 15, 2017 — Jayson Tatum shines as No. 12 Duke tops No. 14 Virginia 65-55 (in Charlottesville)
The Wahoos established their defensive presence early in this one, holding the Blue Devils to just 21 points at halftime. Virginia closed the opening frame on a 7-0 run to take a four-point lead into the locker room.
But Duke showed it could play plenty of defense as well. The Blue Devils limited the Cavaliers to just 5-of-20 shooting from long range, setting the stage for the Jayson Tatum show. Duke's soon-to-be NBA star took control in the second half and logged 28 points with six triples and eight rebounds in 36 minutes, including back-to-back 3-pointers late in the shot clock to seal the deal in the closing minutes.
After the Blue Devils were stunned at home by N.C. State, Duke's victory in Charlottesville was one of the highlights of its seven-game winning streak that got things back on track for Mike Krzyzewski's squad.
4. Jan. 27, 2018 — No. 2 Virginia holds off No. 4 Duke 65-63 (in Durham)
Less than a year ago, roles were nearly reversed when these teams met up at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Virginia held the No. 2 spot in the AP poll with just one loss in its first 20 games. But the opportunity was ripe for the Blue Devils to grab a win on their home floor.
Duke trailed 60-58 after a Marvin Bagley III dunk with 1:37 to play, and Coach K called timeout to set up the Blue Devils' defense. It worked to a charm, forcing a missed 3-pointer by Kyle Guy, but Trevon Duval attempted a full-court pass to Wendell Carter Jr. that was picked off by Cavalier guard Ty Jerome.
The next trip down, Jerome splashed a dagger trey to seal the win after a ball-fake sent Duval the other way for just a second.
3. March 16, 2014 — No. 6 Virginia earns first ACC title since 1976 vs. No. 7 Duke 72-63 (in Greensboro, N.C.)
If there ever was a question whether the Cavaliers were for real, Tony Bennett's team answered it in resounding fashion during the 2014 ACC tournament. After holding Florida State and Pittsburgh to 99 combined points during its first two games, Virginia met up with Duke for the league title—the Blue Devils had eked out a win in Durham earlier that year.
The Cavalier defense was stifling, as usual, as Duke managed only 25 points before halftime. It didn't help either that Coach K picked up a questionable technical foul after throwing his dry-erase marker. But Virginia kept on the gas after halftime, and despite eight ties and seven lead changes, the Cavaliers got a big-time 3-pointer from Joe Harris in the last two minutes to go up by seven and finish their magical run.
2. Feb. 13, 2016 — Grayson Allen's buzzer-beater stuns No. 7 Virginia as Duke wins 63-62 (in Durham)
In a game where the Cavaliers took an early 11-point advantage, neither team truly seemed to gain much traction. Virginia led by three at the half before the Blue Devils took the lead after the break, going up by seven with just about 12 minutes to go.
It all set the stage for an epic finish, as told best by the sweet voice of Mr. Dick Vitale.
1. Jan. 31, 2015 — No. 4 Duke knocks off undefeated No. 2 Virginia 69-63 with Tyus Jones' dagger triple (in Charlottesville)
The Blue Devils' 2014-15 campaign was full of moments, capped when Duke cut down the nets in Indianapolis that April. Yet, no game might have been more important in that national championship run than their six-point victory at John Paul Jones Arena, the catalyst for the Blue Devils winning 18 of their last 19 contests.
Trailing 63-58 with less than three minutes to go after a Cavalier alley-oop courtesy of Justin Anderson, Duke began an 11-0, game-ending run. With the Blue Devils down just a pair, Tyus Jones found Justise Winslow under the basket with a gorgeous jump-pass to tie things at 63 apiece.
Then, Jahlil Okafor kicked one out from the low block to Quinn Cook, who buried a go-ahead triple with 1:16 to play, giving Duke the lead for good. But Virginia had a chance to send things to overtime with a stop and score. Jones, however, had other plans—the freshman found just enough space to shoot over London Perrantes with 9.9 ticks remaining, sinking a 3-pointer that closed out any chances of a last-gasp comeback by the hosts.
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Twitter: @mpgladstone13
A junior from just outside Philadelphia, Mitchell is probably reminding you how the Eagles won the Super Bowl this year and that the Phillies are definitely on the rebound. Outside of The Chronicle, he majors in Economics, minors in Statistics and is working toward the PJMS certificate, in addition to playing trombone in the Duke University Marching Band. And if you're getting him a sandwich with beef and cheese outside the state of Pennsylvania, you best not call it a "Philly cheesesteak."