DURHAM, N.C. — Graduate guard Cormac Ryan scored a career-high 31 points to help the No. 7 North Carolina men’s basketball team (25-6, 17-3 ACC) defeat No. 9 Duke (24-7, 15-5 ACC), 84-79, at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday evening.
"One thing about Cormac is," senior guard RJ Davis said, "shooters shoot."
It was the 50th time UNC and Duke clashed as top-10 teams, with UNC now leading 26-24. With the win, UNC clinched its first ACC regular season title since 2019. In the last 20 years, UNC has now played Duke nine times when the Tar Heels needed a victory to finish first in the ACC — outright or a share — and have won all nine games. It is the first regular season title for UNC in the Hubert Davis era.
"We didn't want to share it, [coach Hubert Davis] didn't want to share it," junior forward Harrison Ingram said. "His energy rubbed off on us from the get-go."
The Tar Heels jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the first four minutes behind a pair of post-ups from Harrison Ingram and three triples from Ryan, forcing Duke head coach Jon Scheyer to call a timeout. North Carolina extended its lead to 30-15 by the under-8 timeout after RJ Davis got free for a 3-pointer.
With Duke sixth man Caleb Foster out with a lower body injury, the Blue Devils’ rotation was stretched thin; UNC had 12 bench points in the first half compared with Duke’s two. Blue Devil guard Jared McCain and Ryan led all scorers at half with 11 and 10 points, respectively. UNC shot 50 percent in the first half, including 4-for-10 from downtown.
Filipowski got going in the second half, scoring 12 of Duke’s first 15 points. The Blue Devils cut UNC’s lead to one point, but North Carolina went on a quick 7-0 run off transition baskets. Ryan pushed the Tar Heels’ pace with a 3-pointer, four free throws and a mid-range jumper, allowing UNC to hover around its double-digit lead.
"I just want to be remembered for [going] 17-3 in the league," Ryan said. "I want to be remembered for taking not just a share, but the whole thing of the regular season title."
With UNC up 72-66 and under five minutes left, Ryan hit a 3-pointer and shushed the crowd. Filipowski answered with a three of his own. The Blue Devils forced a key turnover through a shot clock violation, but Ryan hit another three on the next possession. Duke forward TJ Power answered with a corner three.
