When it comes to Duke’s rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels, it isn’t just about one sport, although men’s basketball will certainly take the cake for ratings and such.
The women’s basketball side of the rivalry saw a split in its two regular season games, each team winning on their home court. Duke didn’t face UNC in the ACC Tournament, but the Blue Devils did run the table in that event, winning three straight games and beating two top-10 teams (the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and NC State Wolfpack) for the program’s first conference title in more than a decade. It was an impressive run, capped off by a 14-point comeback win over the No. 7 Wolfpack.
Following that run, the 26-7 Blue Devils earned a No. 2 seed in the Birmingham 2 Region, one that South Carolina will ultimately headline. The third seed in the region? None other than the Tar Heels, setting up a potential rivalry showdown in the Sweet 16.
Duke would have to get through Lehigh and then either the Oregon Ducks or Vanderbilt Commodores prior to that battle, but it will certainly be the favorite among those four to make a Sweet 16 appearance.North Carolina will battle Oregon State out of the gate and then likely face West Virginia in the Round of 32.
Duke beat North Carolina in Durham in the most recent battle on February 27, winning 68-53. Reigan Richardson led the way with a game-high 23 points, drilling five triples in her final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils have a chance to make a serious run in the women’s NCAA Tournament, and the Tar Heels will hopefully just be one of their many wins en route to a primetime battle with the Gamecocks.
