It was a great day for UNC!
North Carolina and Duke faced off for the first time this season on Saturday night. Beforehand, ESPN’s College Gameday visited Chapel Hill. Once that was over, it was a long, anxious wait for many who were preparing to watch UNC take on the Blue Devils, whether that be in the Dean E. Smith Center or elsewhere.
College Gameday
As they often do, College Gameday made the trip to Chapel Hill for the best rivalry in sports. UNC fans showed up early and filled up about a quarter of the Dean Dome for ESPN’s broadcast. There were small pockets of Duke fans, but not enough to make a real impact. The show went on like normal and prepped fans for the rest of the day.
Nearing Gametime
As the day went on, Chapel Hill was buzzing. Nearly everyone was wearing their UNC gear, and there was an obvious energy in the air. Franklin Street was crowded, and the campus as a whole had a real excitement to it. Students waited in line beside the Smith Center, ready to pour in and support the Tar Heels.
The Game
The crowd was great from start to finish. Before tipoff, it was loud, and it stayed that way. As the Tar Heels made play after play, it sounded like the roof would be blown off. North Carolina only trailed for 16 seconds and mostly pushed Duke around. If the Blue Devils made any sort of run, UNC responded. It all culminated in a late press break, where Armando Bacot was wide open and threw down a dunk that set the final score.
Party on Franklin Street
A win over Duke means Franklin Street is full. Students and fans rushed onto the historic Chapel Hill road and made memories that will last forever. There were fires to jump over, people in trees and on streetlights, and everyone having a good time.
Final score: UNC- 93 | Duke- 84
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