Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: The 5 best Duke wins of the Roy Williams era

By Carson Brown

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on from the sideline against the Lipscomb Bisons during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on from the sideline against the Lipscomb Bisons during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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UNC Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, NC – FEBRUARY 06: Kyle Singler #12 of the Duke Blue Devils knocks into Tyler Hansbrough #50 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at the Dean E. Smith Center on February 6, 2008 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

March 8, 2009: UNC 79 Duke 71

This one’s another game from North Carolina’s championship season in 2009. This particular UNC team was so good, and so exciting, they’re worth mentioning twice on this list. They swept Duke on the season, and this game was Tyler Hansbrough’s last in Chapel Hill.

This game felt like it was bigger than basketball, as the Dean Dome got to witness the greatness of Hansbrough one last time. UNC was ranked second in the country, while Duke was seventh. It was a game between powerhouses once again, making it another classic clash in the rivalry.

It was a battle throughout the entirety of the game, and it remained a two-possession contest until the final minute when UNC spread the lead out to eight. It was Singler versus Hansbrough for the last time, and a bittersweet moment for both sides, no matter which side you were a fan of. Singler had 23 points to go along with six rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Jon Scheyer had 24 points in 39 minutes off the Duke bench.

Hansbrough didn’t play his best game, but played well enough, and the Tar Heels got the victory. He scored 17 points on a 5-for-11 shooting performance, and cleaned the glass with eight rebounds. Lawson added 13 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, while Ellington scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

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North Carolina got the win, and the season sweep of Duke, all leading toward a national championship in Hansbrough’s senior season. It was a special moment the UNC basketball program, and its fans.

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