CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — In a rivalry renowned for high-intensity, thrilling matchups, No. 9 Duke turned Mike Krzyzewski’s final game at the Smith Center into his most relaxing.
Duke knocked North Carolina wobbly with a proverbial opening punch and the Blue Devils finished off the Tar Heels with another spurt to start the second half to rout their rivals, 87-67, Saturday night.
Duke (19-3, 9-2 ACC) maintained its hold on first place in the ACC by jumping to a 31-8 lead behind red-hot shooting. After the Tar Heels cut their deficit to 39-28 at halftime, the Blue Devils scored the first 10 points of the second half — all by freshman A.J. Griffin — to quiet the capacity crowd once again.