Coming into the ACC title deciding rivalry game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils, the three-point shooting of Duke was a major talking point. Conventional wisdom was that Duke could not stay competitive with the Tar Heels if they struggled to shoot from the outside. They have struggled mightily from behind the arc in the first half at Cameron Indoor, and it's a big part of why they're trailing. At halftime, UNC leads Duke 48-24.
While Duke is just 2-11 from beyond the arc, they're getting dominated on the boards, and that's been an even bigger problem. North Carolina is winning the rebounding battle by an absolutely astonishing margin of 29-10, and the Heels have 10 second-chance points to zero for Duke.
Harrison Barnes is shooting just 4-11, but his aggression has helped Carolina to establish tempo, and his misses on quick shots have led to second-chance points off of offensive rebounds on a couple of occasions. Barnes leads all scorers with 11 points, while Kendall Marshall has 10 points and six assists. Tyler Zeller has eight rebounds; John Henson has seven.
This is Duke's lowest halftime points total of the season. This game has been a disaster for them in almost every conceivable way, and they're letting the Tar Heels coast to an ACC regular season title.
For more on the Tar Heels, visit UNC blog Carolina March. For more on the Blue Devils, check out Duke blog Duke Basketball Report. For all news and information regarding college hoops, head over to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA basketball hub.
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