All games count in college basketball. Nevertheless, one would be naive to believe that rivalry games don’t mean more, which is why the winning team often looks to make a statement.
That was the case with the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. They clearly wanted it more, and they outhustled their lifelong rivals, the UNC Tar Heels, on both ends of the floor.
The Blue Devils led by as many as 32 points at some point in the second half. When asked about the reason for their success, Jon Scheyer talked about their hustle on defense.
Duke coach credits deflections for dominance over UNC
“Oh, by the way, it was our high in deflections. We talked about that and now we gotta break it again. … Twenty-three, I think. One of you guys are gonna watch the film and see it was 16 or 17. I was told 23,” Scheyer said.
Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts following a dunk
The Tar Heels turned the ball over 14 times, and those led to 19 Blue Devils points. Duke also logged ten steals, smothering the opposition throughout the length of the court.
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The Blue Devils look like an unstoppable force right now, and even though Auburn still has the best record in the nation, they might actually be the team to beat right now.
