Getty ImagesNorth Carolina took its first lead at 62-60 when Gerald Henderson was whistled for a goaltending on Reyshawn Terry’s fast-break layup with 5:15 left, then pushed the lead to 64-60 when Wright knocked in a tough shot over Josh McRoberts on the next possession.
Duke managed to close the gap to 64-63 shot in the lane from Henderson, then looked poised to go ahead when DeMarcus Nelson got to the foul line after a turnover. But Nelson missed both shots and Hansbrough knocked down a straightaway jumper on the next play to make it 66-63 with 3:15 left.
That started a six-point run from the Tar Heels, who took their largest lead at 70-63 on Lawson’s driving basket while drawing the foul for a three-point play with 1:46 left. Scheyer managed a three-point play to make it 70-66 with 1:17 left, but Lawson followed with a driving basket against three defenders that allowed the Tar Heels to seal it at the line.
It was another late-game fade for the Blue Devils, who failed to score on the final play of a 68-66 overtime loss at Virginia and a 68-67 home loss to Florida State. Krzyzewski responded by shaking up his starting lineup against the Tar Heels, pulling tri-captains McRoberts and Nelson — who had started every game this season — in favor of freshmen Henderson and Brian Zoubek.
Scheyer got the Blue Devils off and running, scoring 14 first-half points — including a stickback of a Henderson miss that gave Duke its largest lead at 35-25 at the 4-minute mark.
“Those guys were wounded,” Wright said. “We knew those guys were going to come out firing and they did.”
Now the Blue Devils are left with their first in-season three-game losing skid since the 1995-96 season. Things won’t get much easier; their next games are at Maryland and Boston College.
“We don’t have time to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves,” Scheyer said.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15 points and Evan Smotrycz added 13, helping No. 22 Michigan remain unbeaten at home with a 70-61 win over Illinois on Sunday.
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