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University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
Heels Fall In Classic 87-83
February 7, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - J.J. Redick banished a career full of poor individual efforts against Duke's biggest rival with a virtuoso performance that's becoming all too familiar.
The shooting star had 22 of his 35 points in the second half, freshman Josh McRoberts added a season-high 17 points and the second-ranked Blue Devils held off No. 23 North Carolina 87-83 Tuesday night.
Playing for the final time in the Dean Smith Center, Redick was 12-for-22 from the field - including five 3-pointers - and set a career high with four steals. Three of those led to breakaway layups.
His previous best against the Tar Heels was 18 points, but he struggled with his shooting in the previous seven matchups (34 percent). There was no such problem in this one, and Redick saved his best for last.
With Duke (22-1, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) clinging to a one-point lead, Redick calmly swished a 3 over Wes Miller to increase the margin with 1:54 remaining. He later added another with the shot clock winding down to make it a seven-point game, and despite a furious rally by the Tar Heels (14-6, 5-4), the Blue Devils picked up their 16th victory in the past 19 games in this Tobacco Road rivalry.
The Blue Devils opened the second half with 12 straight points to take a 52-35 lead, and North Carolina made it pretty easy with six turnovers in that span. Redick started the run by jumping in the passing lane for a steal that led to a layup, and McRoberts had a big role, too.
The struggles prompted Tar Heels coach Roy Williams to yank all five players off the court and replace them with Quentin Thomas, Marcus Ginyard, Danny Green, Byron Sanders and Mike Copeland. For Copeland, it was only the second time in the past seven games he has played.
It worked, too. Thomas drove down the lane to break the scoring drought, Sanders added another basket from in close and Thomas swished a jumper from the baseline. North Carolina sent the starters back in, and they continued the aggressive play.
David Noel made two free throws and Hansbrough converted four, helping the Tar Heels complete their own 12-0 run to get back in it. From there to the end, it was a nip-and-tuck struggle.
Reyshawn Terry had 17 points for North Carolina and Tyler Hansbrough added 14.
Dockery finished with 14 points and Shelden Williams scored 13 for the Blue Devils.
