The heated rivalry between UNC and Duke delivered another classic battle on February 1, 2025. The game showcased dominant performances, key stats, and an overwhelming display of Duke’s offensive efficiency. While UNC fought hard, they struggled to keep up with Duke’s balanced attack and ability to get to the free-throw line. Let’s break down the numbers.

UNC shot .536 eFG%, but their 18.5% turnover rate was costly, as Duke took advantage of every mistake. One of the biggest disparities was free throws—Duke attempted 11 more than UNC, leading to easy points.

UNC’s Key Players

RJ Davis – 12 points, leading the scoring effort. Seth Trimble – 10 points, showing some consistency on offense. >Drake Powell – 12 points off the bench, providing a needed spark. >UNC played solid team defense, but only having two players in double figures made it tough to compete against Duke’s depth.

Duke’s Dominance

Cooper Flagg – 20 points, asserting himself on both ends of the floor.

Kon Knueppel – 21 points, hitting big shots and controlling the tempo.

Duke had 4 players in double figures, showing why they are ranked No. 1 in the ACC and No. 2 in the AP Poll.

The Difference-Maker

One major takeaway from the game was Duke’s ability to get to the free-throw line. They shot 11 more free throws than UNC, a clear sign of how aggressive they were in attacking the basket.

UNC is now 13-10 overall and sits 7th in the ACC, while Duke continues their dominant season at 19-2 overall, 1st in the ACC, and 2nd in the AP Poll.

Final Thoughts

This game exposed some of UNC’s offensive struggles against elite teams. They’ll need to find more consistent scoring and limit turnovers if they want to improve their ACC standing. Meanwhile, Duke looks every bit the championship contender, with a deep roster and efficient scoring.

Duke's Kon Knueppel (7) drives as North Carolina's RJ Davis (4) defends during an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)