5. Austin Rivers vs. UNC
Date: Feb. 8, 2012
Place: Dean Dome
Final Score: Duke 85, UNC 84
Honestly, I didn’t think any Blue Devil would ever have a shot in the Dean Dome that would give me more joy than Duhon’s layup.
Wrong.
Now, I’m convinced that no Blue Devil could ever top the moment in the rivalry when Austin Rivers‘ 3-pointer at the buzzer instantly turned upside down the smiles of more than 20,000 Tar Heels in attendance.
Yet I hope I’m wrong again.
But if the shot by Rivers stands as the all-time greatest Duke game-winner in Chapel Hell, I cannot complain; that moment was simply heavenly.
The Tar Heels led by 10 with 2:15 to play, but a flurry of incredible shots by the Blue Devils cut into that lead in a hurry. A three from Tyler Thornton. A three — seemingly from Durham — from Seth Curry. A silky baseline jumper from Ryan Kelly.
And after a tip-in by UNC’s Tyler Zeller — into the basket that he was defending — following a nothing-but-air deep attempt from Kelly, I was officially down on the floor praying for a memory-of-a-lifetime victory.
Zeller then missed a free throw with 13 seconds remaining and his team up by two.
And following a rebound by Mason Plumlee — who handed the ball over to the team’s freshman point guard — and Rivers’ smooth-operator 14 dribbles to the other end, Zeller missed an opportunity to play better defense against a 3-point attempt from Rivers.
What followed was one of the most beautiful sights these two eyes have ever seen, the memory of which will never leave me.