Bacot & Ingram power UNC basketball to win over rival Duke

HOW ABOUT THEM TAR HEELS?!

Behind stellar performances from Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram, the UNC basketball program defeated No. 7-ranked Duke in the first matchup between the two ACC rivals. With the win, the Tar Heels now have a two-game lead in the conference standings.

Behind an electric home crowd, the Tar Heels got off to a fast start, shooting 51.4% from the field over the first 20 minutes of play. In a fast-paced first half, North Carolina did exactly what it had to do: make defensive stops, run the floor and most importantly, take care of the basketball.

Bacot and Ingram paced the offense and the Tar Heels rebounding effort, combining for 23 points and 14 rebounds to give North Carolina a 10-point lead heading into the break.

Although Duke made every effort to stay in the game, the UNC basketball program did a fantastic job keeping them at bay.

Things got a little dicey near the end of the game, as a questionable hook and hold call on RJ Davis (which resulted in a nasty collision with fellow teammate Seth Trimble) gave Duke two shots and the ball trailing by just eight.

Kyle Filipowski missed the first of two free throws, and Duke proceeded to turn the ball over on the ensuing inbounds, essentially wrapping up their comeback effort.

Ingram was sensational in his first game as part of this historic rivalry, as he scored 21 points while knocking down five of his 9 three-point attempts. He also recorded 13 rebounds, four steals, an assist and a block, as he did a little bit of everything to help the Tar Heels win the game.

In his final home game as part of this rivalry, Bacot went out with a bang. The fifth-year big man recorded a double-double, finishing the night with a game-high 25 points, 10 rebounds and an emphatic slam dunk at the end of the game to put the final touches on the win.

What a night it was for the UNC basketball program, who put together an overall outstanding performance against their biggest rivals. It is a huge victory for a team that was looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Georgia Tech, as they were more than ready to handle business on Saturday night.

As always, it's a GREAT DAY TO BE A TAR HEEL!