North Carolina 81 vs 77 Duke summary: stats, and highlights | NCAA Final Four

The North Carolina Tar Heels are headed to the National Championship after surviving an instant classic against Duke. Caleb Love led the way for the Tar Heels with 28 points in the 81-77 win.

First Duke vs. UNC in the Big Dance

It was the game of the this year’s NCAA Tournament, and maybe all NCAA Tournaments. Finally Duke and North Carolina met in the Big Dance on the biggest stage. And boy did it deliver.

Duke came out on the front foot on the shoulders of Mark Williams who had the game’s first four points, but picked up two fouls in the first five minutes and sat the rest of the way.

Despite Williams missing most of the first half and Theo John picking up four fouls in the first half Duke were still getting good looks around the basket.

The opening 20 minutes were tight, even though Duke led for most of the way. R.J. Davis carried the Tar Heels with 14 points in the first half as UNC erased a six point Duke lead. Just before half Jeremy Roach converted a lay up and one to put the Blue Devils up three, 37-34, going into the halftime break.

Back and forth 2nd half

Each team exchanged runs in the first part of the second half. After going down by seven in the first couple minutes, North Carolina responded with an 13-0 run led by Armando Bacot and Caleb Love.

Just when it seemed like the wind was in Carolina’s sails, Duke punched back under the guidance of Williams and Paolo Banchero by going on a 10-2 run to retake the lead at 51-49.

The biggest lead after that was when North Carolina stretched the advantage out of a five point game when it was 62-57 with over eight minutes to go. From that point on Duke and UNC went blow for blow. There were a total of 19 lead changes in that game.

Love took over in 2nd half

With 46.7 seconds to go Williams went to the line with Duke down by a point. The Duke big man missed both free thrown and Love went down the floor and drained a three with 28 seconds remaining. That would be enough to clinch the win and advance the Tar Heels to their 12th National Championship.

Love scored 22 of his 28 points in the second half to lead UNC to the final song of the Big Dance. Bacot had his 30th double-double of the season posting 11 points and a ridiculous 21 rebounds.

The Duke loss means that Coach Mike Kryzewski’s era as the Blue Devils coach has come to an end. After more than four decades and five national titles he will call it a career.

North Carolina will play Kansas on Monday night for the National Championship. Tip off from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. ET. 

Caleb Love as cold as ice. This seasled the National Championship apperance for UNC.

Moore adding to the drama with a late three to give back the lead to Duke

Manek with the quick trigger three and both teams were going blow for blow.

The freshman Keels had 19 points in his first Final Four appearance.

Bacot had an insane double-double with 11 points and 21 rebounds.

Williams' time was limited because of foul trouble, but he had a big gam eon the boards.

Love had 21 points in the second half.

Love had a couple of these pretty finger rolls.

Duke went up 7 quickly, but then allowed an 11-0 run by the Tar Heels.

Banchero started the second half of with a bang.

You won't see too many games better than that game.

The Tar Heels win and are going to the National Championship on Monday night to play the Kansas Jayhawks!!!

Love hits both and it's a 4 point game.

Keels made one of two. Love got the rebound and Love can basically end it with two made FTs.

Keels got fouled on the floor, even though it looked like it could have been an and 1. He'll go to the line after the timeout.

Love goes to the line and he makes one of two. Three points game.

Roach gets a quick one to chip into the lead.

LOVE DRAINS THE THREE BALL!! What a gutsy shot!!!

Williams missed both  FTs and we have 46.7 to go.

Bacot has just fouled out! What a game he has had! He goes to the bench with 11 points and 21 rebounds, even with his twisted ankle.

Davis going to the line after getting fouled by Roach. Davis drops both to give UNC the lead.

1:18 to go

The Superdome is rocking!!! Moore just drained a three ball to counter the Manek deep ball.

Manek with nerves of steel!!! Jacks it up and drains the three

Keels has been big all night and he just hit the biggest shot of the night. He's got 18.

Manek to the line on a one and one, and he hits one of two.

Love with another one of those beautiful finger rolls.

Banchero hits one of two. There have been 14 lead changes and 11 ties in this game.

3:32 to go in the second half.

Sit back and enjoy the rest of this game. We are witnessing history. How many times do games built up like this one was not live up to the hype? This is quite the opposite. Two college basketball institutions, the bigges rivalry in the game in the Final Four and it's going to come down to the end.

Banchero fouled by Bacot and that's going to take us to our last TV timeout from New Orleans. We are tied up with 3:32 to go in the 2nd half.

JOhnosn at the line, he hits both and Bacot is coming back in the game after rolling his ankle.

Manek at the line misses both as Bacot heads back to the locker room.

How long is Williams going to stay on the sidelines? There is 5 minutes left and Duke needs their best big man on the floor.

Griffin at the line hits two of two.

On the replay you could see Bacot rolled his ankle and that is going to be a big story the rest of the way. He is having to get assisted off the court, and that's trouble for the Tar Heels.

Bacot was involved in a collision with Griffin that will send the Dukie to the FT line and Bacot is slow to get up.

Bacot gets one of two from the FT line.

6:00 to play in the 2nd half.

13 lead changes and 9 ties in this game after Griffin's 2 FTs.

Love with the pretty finger roll down the lane.

Roach with the steal but missed the open lay up. It works out for Duke as Keels followed up, got the bucket and 1. He missed the FT.

Roach at the line, hits 2 of 2.

Duke set up an iso play for Banchero, who spins to the basket and finishes.

Davis with the baseline floater. and he's got his first bucket of the second half.

Keels slides around Manek and gets the finger roll to go.

Wiiliams just picked up his fourth foul as Bacot got the bucket and the foul.

Banchero ties it up at 55 with a jumper.

Manek in the corner for three! He's got a couple long balls after the break after a slow first half.

MOore with the lay in and the score board is doing a see saw.

Black from downtown give UNC the lead back.

Moore going coast to coast after the steal. 10-2 run for Duke.

Williams on the put back tip slam! We are all tied up, and this looks like it's going down to the wire.

Bacot with the put back and the Tar Heels lead again. He's got 7 points and 16 rebounds.

Banchero showing the strength, going up and under Manek.

Williams just picked up his third foul as Bacot dragged down his 14th rebound. There are 14 minutes to go in this second semifinal.

Banchero to the line, and he hit's 1 of 2. He's got 13 on the night.

Keels finally ends the run with a three ball. He was big in the first half and needs to be big in this second half.

Love with the floater out of the timeout and that a 13-0 run

Love going strong to the bucket and Duke needs a timeout after UNC punches back with an 11-0 run.

Manek drains a three ball in the corner and the Tar Heels are on a 9-0 run!!! UNC leads for the first time since it was 16-15

Love with back to back three balls and we are back to a one point game

Banchero going to the rack strong and Duke is coming ouf off the break looking strong.

Williams starts the second half on the floor and goes right back to work in the paint. Then draws an offensive foul on the other end. That was Bacot's third.

The second half is underway from New Orleans!! We are 20 minutes from knowing who will by playing Kansas in the National Championship on Monday night.

Roach with the bucket and one to give Duke the lead at half.

Big buckets from UNC at the end of the half to close the gap.

You cant' leave Banchero alone from downtown.

Banchero doing it from down low and from outside.

Banchero with the spot up for three of his team high 10 points.

What a look this was to find Bacot wide open down low.

Mark Williams had 4 quick points before picking up his second foul and sitting out the final 15 minutes of the first half.

Black got the party started for the Tar Heels.

RJ Davis is the top scorer of the first half with 14 points. Paolo Banchero is the top scorer for Duke with 10.

We are heading to the halftime break with Duke up 3 points. It's all to play for in the second half from New Orleans.

Roach winds the clock down, drives, hangs, and finishes while drawing the foul! The FT is good with 3.1 left in the half.

Manek finally getting a bucket with under 30 seconds in the half. Duke wants a timeout to set up the final play of the first 20 minutes.

Banchero is stripped and Love takes it coast to coast. Timeout Duke with under a minute left. They had a chance to stretch out the six point lead before the break, but the Tar Heels have cut the lead instead.

Davis with an iportant mid range jumper to close the gap.

Banchero with a spot up three and the Dukies lead by 6 with under 1:30 to go in the second half.

North Carolina needs to figure out of way to get Manek into this game.

Love with a strong drive and a finish off the glass.

Moore to the line after the second foul on Bacot. He hits one of two as Bacot heads to the bench.

Keels has taken this game over in the absence of the big men. He's got 8 points after the eurostep and lay in.

John just picked up his fourth foul and Duke has a real problem. They thrive on their ability to get to the basket and bully teams in the paint.

Banchero out muscles the UNC defense and gets another bucket close to the rack.

Love on the floater down the lane. Carolina is starting to get buckets close to the basket.

John with a thunderous slam, and even with three fouls he's attack in the rack.

Carolina are starting to bang on the boards with Bacot, and he earns a trip to the FT line. John just picked up his third foul, and Duke's big guys are in foul trouble early on. Bacot made both FTs.

Davis hits a couple free throws, but he picks up his second foul right after and he is off to the bench.

Black on the tip back off the miss. But still UNC is stuggling to find good looks down low.

Moore on the dribble drive and reverse, and Duke is getting whatever they want down low.

Roach to the line and he hits one of two FTs.

Keels again this time with the jumper. This game is staring to ignite, but we will take a break with 7:55 to go in the second half.

Davis with a jumper, and unlike Duke they are having to work for their shots.

Keels with the lay up of the screen down low. All of Dukes shots are coming around the rim.

Davis hits a jumper, but Banchero answers with a tomahawk slam on the other end.

John with a beautiful post move, and Duke is doing just fine without Williams down low. They have 12 points in the paint.

Timeout from New Orleans with 11:12 to go in the first half.

John extending the play with an offensive rebound and Griffin finishes off the play with the double clutch layup. Duke continue to hit the boards hard even with Williams on the bench.

Davis with a hand in his face for the three ball.

Banchero spots up from downtown and the Dukies lead

Griffin creating off the dribble and John with the emphatic slam.

Davis with a mid range jumper and the offense is starting to pick up here from New Orleans.

Keels on the reverse and Duke break the scoreless streak.

Bacot wide open after the no look pass from Davies.

Manek hits both FTs for his first points of the night.

Williams just picked up his second foul at that is terrible news for Duke. He has their only points of the game and their anchor down low

Bacot hits one of two free throws and we have a tie ball game early on.

Not many jump shots are being made. That's a sign of nerves from both sides. In a game of this magnitude you could understand the nerves. We are going to the first TV timeout with both teams searching for their offense.

Williams on the tip slam and he's got Duke's first two buckets of the night.

Huge slam from Williams down the lane! You can see what Duke wants to do early on, they want to bang it with their big guys down low.

Black in the corner for the game's first bucket

Both teams going inside to start the game, but we're scoreless through the first minute and a half.

We are underway in second National Semifinal!!! We have 40 minutes to decide who will be in the Title Game on Monday night.

Isn't it fitting that this is the 100th matchup between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils since Coach K took over at Duke.

It is almost game time in New Orleans. Each of the teams are being introduced by Jim Nantz at the Caesars Superdome

Coach K is an institution.

With Duke Coach Mike Kryzewski announcing earlier this year that this season will be his last, tonight’s game could very well be his last. He has been with the the Blue Devils for 41 seasons and has a record of 1,097-302 to go along with his five National Championships.

Duke aren't playing around

Duke is in their 17th Final Four ever, having last reached this stage of the tournament in 2015. That was also the last year they won the title when they beat Wisconsin 68-63. Before that the Blue Devils had been to 10 title games having lifted the title on five occasions. 

UNC are on the hunt!

UNC is in search of their sixth National Championship having won their last one in 2017. They have been to the Final Four a record 21 times and have a record of 11-10 in the national semifinal. Their record in the title game is 6-5, but they won their last Championship game in 2017 against Gonzaga. 

This is a game of legendary proportions!

Duke's Bachero is as good as it gets

Pablo Banchero is leading the Dukies in rebounds and points a game at 17.1 and 7.7 a game respectively. He’s right around his average with 16 points and 7 rebounds a game in the tournament. Wendell Moore Jr. is second in scoring for the Blue Devils getting 13.5 points a game, and leads the team in assists with 4.4 a game. He too is right around his average with 13 points and just under 4 assists a night. 

Bacot is the Tar Heels' boy!

Armando Bacot is the top dog for the Tar Heels, scoring 16.5 points and snatching 12.8 rebounds a night which is good enough for third in the country. Bacot had 20 points and 22 rebounds in the Elite Eight game against St. Peter’s. Caleb Love and Brady Manek are going averaging over 15 points a game. Love had 30 against UCLA and 23 against Marquette. Manek had 28 and 26 in the first two games and is averaging over 21 points a night in the tournament. 

Coach K's last dance in the Final Four!

The Tar Heels have their sights set on the finals!

The Tar Heels have a record of 28-9, and finished second in the ACC behind Duke. Like the Blue Devils they lost to Virginia Tech in the conference tournament. They got an at large bid, but were given an 8 seed after an underwhelming regular season. Once they got to the Big Dance the UNC tournament pedigree started to show. They have not had an easy road by any means. They crushed Marquette in a 8 vs. 9 matchup in the first round, and that earned them a date with last years champions and 1 seed Baylor. UNC squandered a 25 point second half lead, but forced overtime where they ended the Bears’ back-to-back to bid. The Tar Heels then met another historic NCAA Tournament team, UCLA and edged the Bruins by 7 to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight. They met with this year’s Cinderella team in St. Peter’s, but the magic faded for the Peacocks as UNC ended their Big Dance dreams with a 69-49 win to move on to the Final Four. 

NCAA history in the making!

The Dukies have a record of 32-6 on the year, and finished the ACC regular season at the top of the standings. They were the top seed in the conference tournament, but lost 82-67 in final to Virginia Tech. Duke came into Coach K’s final Big Dance as a two seed and played Cal State Fullerton who they beat with relative ease in the first round. Coach K met fellow legendary coach Tom Izzo and Michgan State for one final time before getting their biggest test of the tournament in Texas Tech in the Sweet 16. After the five point win over the Red Raiders the Dukies took on this year’s sweethearts of the college basketball season, Arkansas, who they beat 78-69.

Welcome to live coverage of the NCAA Final Four on AS English!

Hello everyone and welcome to New Orleans for maybe the biggest basketball game in NCAA Tournament history. The plot lines are endless in the game, but the headline coming into tonight is Duke vs. North Carolina for the first time ever in the NCAA Tournament. And what better stage to do it then the college basketball’s Final Four. 

Its Duke vs UNC in the NCAA Final Four

It’s the moment we have all been waiting for. For ages we have longed for a Duke and North Carolina match up in the NCAA Tournament. It’s finally here as the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels will meet in the Final Four of this year’s Big Dance. AS English will have you covered with up to the minute stats, scores, analysis and highlights from tonight’s historic matchup from the Caesars Superdome.