It’s Duke and UNC in the second weekend of March Madness. An instant classic. “This one’s for who? Us, us, us.”
How to watch No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 UNC
- What: Birmingham 2 Regional, Sweet 16
- Venue: Legacy Arena — Birmingham, Ala.
- Time: 2:30 p.m. ET, Friday
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
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This is an intrastate rivalry that explains and defines the sport, a litmus test for college careers and local legacies. The latest installment has every reason to be a good one. It’s the first tip-off of the Sweet 16, a Friday afternoon walk-in to weekend Madness. It’s also a No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup that was evenly split throughout the regular season. Duke won the last meeting, a February face-off at Cameron Indoor, while UNC took their January game at home and in overtime. The rubber match has augmented stakes in a Tournament field with increasing parity.
The Blue Devils got by the Ducks, 59-53, in the second round on Sunday. They shot 38 percent from the field but 41 percent on 3s. Junior guard Ashlon Jackson had 20 points off five treys and a dogged 35 minutes. Such strenuous work was forced by the absence of Toby Fournier, Duke’s star freshman, who was ruled out with an illness. When fully healthy, Fournier is a quick bucket and a tempo-claimer off the bench.
UNC beat West Virginia by double-digits to reach the Sweet 16. Fifth-year Tar Heel Alyssa Ustby was all-around sharp: 21 points, seven boards and seven stocks (steals + blocks). They looked comfortable even with senior sharpshooter Lexi Donarski off from distance. North Carolina had just six assists on 20 made shots.
Duke has been a trendy March pick since their ACC Tournament triumph. Ustby wants to keep leaping atop the scorer’s table.
This matchup can also be streamed on ESPN+.
Duke vs. UNC odds
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(Photo of Lexi Donarski and Reniya Kelly: Matt Kelley / Getty Images)