Duke Blue Devils rally late, beat UNC in OT

Tyus Jones saved the game for the Duke Blue Devils with a fierce rally to force overtime.

The Blue Devils needed an extra five minutes of basketball to beat the North Carolina Tar Heels 92-90 in overtime.

What else would you expect when Duke and Carolina meet? It was an instant classic filled with a ton of ups and downs. The game was a roller coaster of emotions, and one that left you on the edge of your seat.

All hope seemed lost for Duke late in the game. North Carolina was dominating play and built a 10-point lead, 77-67, with 3:22 to play. With the clock winding down, the Blue Devils needed someone to make a play.

With about 90 seconds to play and Duke trailing 79-72, Coach K told his team they were going to win the game. The team bought in to his message, but they needed someone to make the plays on the court.

Tyus Jones answered the call. He scored the final nine points for Duke, including the game-tying lay-up with 29 seconds to play. Duke got the stop to force overtime.

Overtime did not disappoint. There were six lead changes in overtime and the final lead change came with 1:44 left in overtime. UNC elected not to double-team Okafor and he made them pay with a fantastic move and finish.

Even though the Blue Devils struggled from the free-throw line all game long they made just enough to hold off the Tar Heels. In the final 30 seconds of play Quinn Cook, a 91 percent free-throw shooter, went 2-4 from the line.

Up by three points, 92-89, with only five seconds to play Coach K elected to foul. Nate Britt made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second. Justise Winslow fought hard for the rebound and the game was over.

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The first meeting of the season was one filled with countless errors. It was truly a tale of two halves. Even though Carolina only trailed 49-42 at the half, Duke dominated the first half. The second half was all North Carolina, until the final 90 seconds.

The North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils traded baskets to open the second half, and then Carolina went on a big run. Trailing 53-44 with 17:48 to play in the game, the Tar Heels exploded. They went on a 13-0 run and took their first lead of the game, 57-53.

The Duke Blue Devils allowed the North Carolina Tar Heels to hang around in the first half. The Blue Devils outplayed Carolina. Carolina simply had business going into halftime only down seven points.

However, careless basketball by the Blue Devils allowed the Tar Heels to hang around. Duke did just about everything right in the first half, but pull away from UNC. The Blue Devils certainly had their chances though.

With 15:36 left to play in the first half, Marcus Paige picked up his second foul and Duke led 13-6. Duke was able to extend their lead to 12 points, but quickly allowed Carolina to close the gap to six points.

For the next seven minutes of play the two rivals would trade baskets, but UNC managed to cut Duke’s lead to only four points, 40-36. Then Duke got the biggest scare of their season.

Jahlil Okafor caught the ball on the block and took a turn around hook. When Okafor landed, he landed on the defender’s foot and went down in pain. Coach K and the athletic trainer quickly came onto the court.

Feb 18, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) reacts after blocking a shot in their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Okafor had to be assisted to the locker room and Duke needed someone to step up on the court. Matt Jones nailed a 3-point shot, Amile Jefferson got a steal and Quinn Cook drilled another 3-pointer. In the blink of an eye the Blue Devils were up by 13 points, 49-36, with only 2:21 left to play in the half.

Carolina didn’t quit though. With the help of Duke, North Carolina went on a 6-0 run and went into the break only down seven points.

Game MVP:

Tyus Jones was simply sensational. Tyus Jones stepped up and put Duke on his back to force overtime. He led all scorers with 22 points, nine out of his 22 points came in the final 90 seconds of regulation. Tyus Jones was a key reason that the Duke Blue Devils won the game. With the game all but over, he stepped up and made every play that Duke needed. Tyus Jones finished the game with 22 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds.

Inside the Box Score:

The Blue Devils shot the ball extremely well from the field. They shot 50.8 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three. The worst part of the Blue Devils shooting came from the free-throw line. Duke went 16-31 from the charity stripe, 51.6 percent, and Okafor went 0-6.

All five Duke starters scored in double figures. Cook finished the game with 22 points and went 6-9 from deep. Winslow, 16 points, Amile Jefferson, 13 points, and Okafor 12 points rounded out the scoring for the Blue Devils.

Feb 18, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) reacts after being fouled in overtime in their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Duke’s bench didn’t provide much scoring, but played a pivotal role in the win. Matt Jones scored 5 points off the bench, but his defense and rebounding helped Duke complete the comeback. Matt Jones grabbed one of the biggest rebounds of the game. With 44 seconds to play and Duke up 90-89, Matt Jones flew in and grabbed an offensive rebound off of a Tyus Jones miss. Matt Jones passed the ball out to Cook and then Carolina began fouling.

What’s Next for Duke:

With the win the Blue Devils improve to 23-3 on the season and 10-3 in ACC play. They remain two games behind the Virginia Cavaliers for first in the ACC.

Duke won’t have much time to celebrate their victory. The Blue Devils will host the Clemson Tigers on Saturday afternoon in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

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Duke Blue Devils Rally Late, Beat Carolina in Overtime

By Tyler Hoxsie | Feb 19, 2015