Unranked Duke attempts to thwart rival #2 UNC tonight (1995)

Chad on 02 11, 2009

Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse look to knockout a struggling Duke team tonight. The unranked Duke Blue Devils lost Coach K earlier in the season when he took a leave of absence. Coach Gaudet has taken over the squad and so far, has been struggling. Coach Dean Smith has lauded Duke as being a “national championship contender” despite their lack of a Top 25 Ranking. UNC looks to get another win tonight to improve to 7-1 in the ACC which would give them a first-place tie with Maryland. However, Duke is playing for their first ACC win this season.

Cherokee Parks is expected to have his hands full guarding a potential NBA player, Rasheed Wallace.

[Update]

Duke stuns North Carolina by extending the game into a Double OT affair. Duke was unable to seal the miraculous upset. Freshman Steve Wojciechowski had an buzzer beater opportunity at the end of the second OT to send UNC off with their first lost to an unranked opponent this season.

With 5 seconds remaining at the near end of the first OT, Duke was down by 6 with the ball. Duke Sophmore Jeff Capel took it to the hole, finished and got fouled. Capel made his free throw and immediately fouled the inbound pass to UNC’s Serge Zwikker. Zwikker missed the first of his two free throws. Zwikker then missed his second free throw, allowing, future NBA superstar, Cherokee Parks to rebound an outlet a pass to Capel who launched a 30 footer to send the game into a 2nd OT.

Capel bragged after the game that the buzzer beater he hit in high school was more dramatic than nailing a buzzer beater in the most prominent rivalry in basketball history was.

UNC would go on to hold out for the win against the unranked Duke Blue Devils.