North Carolina is 9-0 in true road games, the last undefeated team on opposing floors. It walks into Cameron Indoor Stadium as a loathed rival, slight favorite and massive ACC litmus test. UNC-Duke is always a good time, but it’s best when both sides are nationally ranked. Thursday night’s blue bash is Picasso-approved.
How to watch No. 8 North Carolina at No. 16 Duke
Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium — Durham, N.C.
Time: 7 p.m. ET, Thursday
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub
The Tar Heels hit their penultimate game as winners of seven straight. Five of those were by five or fewer points, and Sunday’s double-digit comeback at Louisville was tense. Courtney Banghart’s team grinds out close games and triumphs in the turnover margins. First-year Lanie Grant is coming off a shocking breakout moment. She had scored just two points in three of her five previous games but dropped 19 at Louisville to save UNC.
The team is paced by a trio of seniors — perimeter shooter Lexi Donarski, inside-out talent Alyssa Utsby and paint presence Maria Gakdeng. Utsby’s versatility in playmaking and on the glass leads to a full box score and a thorough highlight reel:
And sophomore Reniya Kelly is heating up, averaging 15.3 points per game in February. At 13-3 in their conference, North Carolina is one game behind NC State and two behind Notre Dame in the ACC standings.
Duke is right behind them, tied with Louisville and Florida State for fourth at a 12-4 conference mark. Kara Lawson’s crew has played the fifth-hardest schedule in the nation, per Basketball Reference, and they have a deep reserve that ranks third in bench scoring. They dropped back-to-back games for the first time all season this month, then took it all out on Syracuse in Sunday’s 31-point demolition.
The Blue Devils lead the ACC in rebounds, steals and 3-pointers allowed this year. The defense sets the tone, though guard Ashlon Jackson is letting it fly behind the arc, and forward Toby Fournier dropped a 24-piece on Miami and had 22 against Syracuse.
All-time series: UNC holds a very slim lead, 56-53. It won last time out, a free-throw-heavy scrapper on Jan. 9.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels, Women’s College Basketball, Sports Betting
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