Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #7 UConn on March 29, 2026 , Loss , 72, to, 73
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Final
Men's Basketball
72
vs #7 UConn
73
Men's Basketball Game Notes: vs. North Carolina, Feb. 7, 9 PM, RLF/ESPN
2/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DURHAM, N.C. - Duke (18-5, 5-4), ranked 16th in both the AP poll and ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, faces North Carolina (20-3, 6-2) on Wednesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Tip-off is set for 9:05 p.m. with RLF and ESPN both televising the contest. The Tar Heels enter the contest ranked fifth in both the AP poll and ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
Duke is coming off a difficult 68-67 loss to Florida State at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday. The Blue Devils have lost three of its five games this season by two points or less.
Sophomore Greg Paulus scored a career-high 23 points on Sunday to go along with four rebounds and three assists.
The Syracuse, N.Y., native went 8-of-13 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from three-point distance in the loss. Paulus scored 12 points in the opening 10 minutes of action as Duke jumped out to an early 27-10 lead.
DeMarcus Nelson (14) and Josh McRoberts (12) reached double-figures in scoring for the Blue Devils. Nelson also had a team-high six rebounds, while McRoberts added five rebounds and four blocks.
After shooting 52.0 percent (13-of-25) in the opening half, Duke went cold from the field in the second half, shooting 37.0 percent (10-of-27) in the final 20 minutes. In the last two games, both close losses, the Blue Devils have shot 35.1 percent (20-of-57) after halftime.
Storylines
- Duke has won 16 of the last 20 games versus North Carolina and eight of the last 10 games at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils are 31-30 against North Carolina under Mike Krzyzewski.
- Duke and North Carolina are ranked 16th and fifth, respectively, in the latest AP poll. Wednesday's game marks the 122nd straight game with at least one team ranked in the AP poll. That streak dates back to Feb. 27, 1960. Of those 122 games, 110 of the games have featured a team in the top 10. Both teams have been ranked in each of the last seven games and in 42 of the last 55 meetings.
- The Blue Devils have 19 home games on the schedule this season, the most in school history. The previous high was 17 during the 1996-97 season. Duke went 15-2 at Cameron Indoor Stadium that season. The school record for home wins in a season is 16, set in 1990-91 when the team was a perfect 16-0 at home. Duke is 14-2 at home this season and has not lost more than two home games since the 1995-96 season. The Blue Devils have not lost more than two games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 19 of Coach K's 26 completed seasons.
- Wednesday's contest pits the ACC's top scoring defense (Duke) versus the top scoring offense (North Carolina). Duke enters the contest eighth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 57.1 points per game. The Tar Heels are second in the nation in scoring offense at 88.1 ppg.
- Greg Paulus scored a career-high 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point distance, in Sunday's loss to Florida State. In conference play, he is averaging 11.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Paulus has a 1.48:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in league action and has scored in double-figures in six of nine games.
- Freshman Jon Scheyer went 7-of-7 from the foul line on Sunday and has now made 36 straight free throws (third-longest in Duke history). On the year, he is shooting 88.0 percent (81-of-92) from the free throw line, third-best in the ACC. In conference action, Scheyer is a league-best 41-of-43 (95.3 pct.) from the charity stripe.
- Sophomore Josh McRoberts ranks second in the ACC (18th in the NCAA) in blocked shots (2.57 bpg.). The Carmel, Ind., native has 59 blocks this season (14th most in Duke history) and 105 blocks in 59 career games. McRoberts, a Midseason Top 30 candidate for the Wooden Award, also ranks 22nd in the ACC in scoring (13.2 ppg.), fifth in rebounding (7.7 rpg.) and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.62:1). McRoberts has scored in double-figures in 13 straight games and in 16 of the last 18 contests.
- David McClure is tied for the team lead in steals with 33 and second in blocks with 18. He is also the third leading rebounder on the team at 5.3 rpg., while averaging just over 22 minutes played per game.
- Freshman Gerald Henderson is shooting 52.2 percent (24-of-46) in nine league games. Henderson is averaging 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in ACC action. Henderson and North Carolina freshman Wayne Ellington are close friends and former teammates at Episcopal Academy. The duo led the Churchman to a 52-7 record and two league championships in their final two seasons.
- Junior DeMarcus Nelson has reached double-figures in scoring a team-high 20 times this season and is 16th in the ACC in scoring at 14.4 ppg. He is also tied for the team lead in steals with 33 and is second in rebounding at 5.5 rpg. He is one of just three guards (joining N.C. State's Gavin Grant and Boston College's Sean Marshall) in the ACC averaging more than five rebounds per game.
- The Blue Devils have outrebounded the opposition 20 times this season. Duke, 16-4 when outrebounding its opponent, is ranked 20th in the NCAA with a +6.6 rebound margin. Josh McRoberts has led the Blue Devils in rebounds 16 times this season, including five double-figure rebounding efforts. North Carolina leads the NCAA with a +10.0 rebound margin.
- Duke has a -17 turnover ratio in its five losses this season. The Blue Devils have forced just 12.8 turnovers per game and allowed the opposition to shoot 45.8 percent from the field in those losses. In its 18 wins, Duke has a +7 turnover ratio, has forced 15.6 turnovers per game and has limited the opposition to 37.5 percent shooting.
Players Mentioned
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