North Carolina came into Durham on Saturday and took the ACC by the horns, leaving no room for doubt or shared banners in its 84-79 win.
The Blue Devils had a chance to claim a share of the conference title in the regular season with a win, but instead, the Tar Heels got it all to themselves.
The most interesting (or disheartening, for Duke fans) aspect of the game may not have happened on Saturday at all, however. It may have been set up over the previous two decades.
This weekend was the ninth time over the past 20 years that the final game of the regular season, Duke against North Carolina, decided the ACC title. The Tar Heels have won all nine of those games.
In the past 20 years, Carolina has played Duke nine times in the regular season finale when UNC needed a win to finish first in the ACC (outright or a share).
UNC has won all nine games, including wins in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2019 and 2024. pic.twitter.com/WihcMyhqtq
— Carolina Basketball Stats & Info (@UNCMBBStats) March 10, 2024
Even worse, four of those games (2008, 2012, 2016, and 2024) took place at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke has had four chances to claim a share of the ACC title or the conference crown outright on its home court in the last 16 years, and the Blue Devils haven’t won a single time.
Duke will begin its ACC Tournament run as the No. 2 seed on Thursday.