UNC Basketball: 11 Historical Games and Moments against Duke
March 6th, 2005: #2 UNC 75, #6 Duke 73 (The Putback): I was never more emotionally invest in a UNC/Duke game than this one. At this point Duke own the ACC and the rivalry and it was something that not even strongest UNC fan could deny. Duke was dominating the Heels the way the Heels dominated Duke in the 70s.
The Blue Devils had won 15 of the last 17 games dating back to 1999, its most dominate run in the history of the series and although the Heels already clinched a share of the ACC regluar season title they could win it outright for the first time since 1993 if they could finally beat Duke.
It was a game that the Tar Heels had to win. On the Senior Day of the embattled 2002 class Melvin Scott, Jackie Manuel and Jawad Williams, the Heels and Blue Devils would play another instant classic in a rivalry full of them.
Before the largest crowd to see a college game on-campus in the state of North Carolina, 22, 125 fans poured into the Smith Center and watched Sean May play the game of his life with 26 points and 24 rebounds, it was the greatest individual performance in rivalry’s history since Charlie Scott’s 40 point game in the 69 ACC Final.
The game also saw a amazing comeback from the Heels. Down 73-64 with 3 minutes to play the Heels stage a great rally, first came baskets by Jawad and Marvin Williams then Sean May completed a three-point to cut the lead to two. Duke had the ball and the lead with less than a minute to play when David Noel knocked the ball loose and it was recovered by Raymond Felton who called a timeout. Unlike the first game that season when the Heels were unable to get off a last second Felton drove the lane out of the timeout and drew a foul. He made the first one but missed the second one and which ended up in the hands of Marvin Williams who scored on the putback and set off the largest eruption in the history of Carolina basketball. Williams completed the greatest three-point play in Carolina history to complete the comeback, giving the Heels the outright ACC title and give Coach Roy his first win over Duke has UNC head coach.
The Heels would ride the dominate play of May to the program’s 5th national title and first for Coach Roy while Duke lost in the Sweet 16.