North Carolina brushes Duke aside thanks to Harrison Ingram’s heroics to highlight the college basketball weekend.
With the NFL season winding down, basketball will soon take more of the spotlight — and we at Heat Check CBB aim to be your go-to source for all things college hoops until a champion cuts the nets on the second Monday of April. Thus, we’re launching a new weekly column: the Saturday Recap with Heat Check CBB. Every Sunday, we’ll provide breakdowns of the biggest games and storylines from the weekend.
And what better way to begin than with a Saturday slate that featured three top-10 matchups and plenty of other notable games? We’ll start on Tobacco Road with the sport’s greatest rivalry.
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- Bubble Watch: Latest on every team in the NCAA Tournament picture
- Rauf Report: Questions about Houston, South Carolina’s ascension
Energized by Ingram, North Carolina trounces Duke
For the first time in five years, both North Carolina and Duke were ranked in the top 10 for their rivalry matchup. But the Tar Heels pounced on the Blue Devils from the jump and ultimately prevailed, 93-84. The win gave Hubert Davis his first over Jon Scheyer and put UNC in pole position to capture the ACC crown.
Defense characterized the first half for the Heels, as they looked more connected than they did four days earlier at Georgia Tech. In particular, Harrison Ingram established his presence, creating turnovers and sliding from the weak side to alter shots at the rim. His defensive effort impacted the rest of the team. UNC forced 11 turnovers for the game and scored 19 points off of them, with Ingram tying a career-high with four steals.
“I knew their offense runs a lot through their guards and [Kyle] Filipowski at the 5. Then Mark Mitchell … I knew he was gonna be in the dunker spot a lot. So I knew I’d have the help role and I’d be able to gap off of him and try to get some steals,” Ingram told Heat Check CBB after the game.
But his impact wasn’t limited to defense. He frequently led the break for Carolina’s up-tempo attack and contributed 21 points (5-9 from 3, a career-high) along with 13 boards.
“No matter what, Harrison is gonna be an energizer,” North Carolina guard Seth Trimble said. “It doesn’t matter what he’s done. Harrison could have zeroes across the board with four minutes left in the game, he’s still gonna be the loudest one.”
The win also saw the re-emergence of Armando Bacot, who chipped in 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
After averaging 7.3 points over his past four contests, the contest marked a get-right spot for the fifth-year big man. Following a conversation earlier in the week, per both coach and player, Hubert Davis made an effort to involve him early and reaped the benefits. —Riley Davis
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