BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — I would like to say the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels delivered a game for the ages in their first women’s NCAA tournament matchup, but I watched it.

The Tar Heels seized control early, jumping out to an 11-0 lead in the first quarter. But Duke settled in and outscored North Carolina by a 47-27 margin in the final 34 minutes for the win.

That will always be April 2, 2022, when the Tar Heels beat Duke, 81-77, at the Final Four in New Orleans. But Thursday comes closest to that because it’s in the NCAA Tournament, between two ...

North Carolina Tar Heels (29-7, 15-6 ACC) vs. Duke Blue Devils (28-7, 17-4 ACC) Birmingham, Alabama; Friday, 2:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Blue Devils -5.5; over/under is 124.5 BOTTOM LINE ...

Duke has a 23-2 record in games decided by 10 points or more. The Tar Heels are 15-6 against ACC teams. North Carolina has a 3-2 record in one-possession games. Duke’s average of 6.1 made 3 ...