UNC Basketball: Theo Pinson puts stamp on Tar Heels win over Duke

Theo Pinson puts the finishing touches on UNC’s win over Duke

What a game.

The North Carolina Tar Heels overcame a halftime deficit to shut down the Duke Blue Devils in the second half and delivered a win for the Dean Dome crowd.

UNC held Duke to just 27 second-half points in the game, the second fewest in a half by the Blue Devils all season long.

They did it with good defense, hot shooting and a lot of effort. It just seemed like UNC wanted this one more and they went and took it.

More from UNC’s win: Game Recap | UNC fans tease Jay Williams | 5-star recruit in attendance

The Tar Heels were up double-digits in the second half before Duke rallied to cut the lead down to three with 4:56 left in the game. The Blue Devils got no closer than four the rest of the way as UNC was able to fight them off.

But the stamp on this game came from senior Theo Pinson.

In his final home game against Duke, Pinson scored just four points in the game but his final two were probably the most exciting.

After a Duke miss down five, the Tar Heels grabbed the board and it led to a runout. Pinson finished the possession with a two-handed slam that had the Dean Dome roaring.

Check it out:

The dunk gave UNC a seven-point lead and would seal the game, giving the Tar Heels their second-straight win.

Pinson was big in UNC’s win as he grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists. He also was matched up with Marvin Bagley at times and did a sound job defensively on the 6-foot-11 freshman.

A win over Duke is always a good time, especially at home. But with the Tar Heels facing a tough stretch in which they will play three games in five days, getting off to a good start was key.

With the Tar Heels seeking a double-bye in the upcoming ACC Tournament, winning all three of those games would be huge. They have a tough final six games including Duke one more time but they are off to a great start.

Next: UNC beats Duke in Chapel Hill

The celebration will have to be quick however, as UNC will travel down the road to take on NC State Saturday.