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Game Grades: North Carolina Tar Heels lose a close one to Duke

By Daniel Tran

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The North Carolina Tar Heels came back from a first-half deficit to take the lead in the second half, only to lose the lead at the end of regulation and lost the game in overtime to ACC rival Duke.

MVP: Brice Johnson was a beast tonight.  J.P. Totoko was getting props from the announcers most of the night, but it was Johnson who was doing the dirty work down low, putting a body on Jahlil Okafor at times and ended up leading the team in scoring.  Had he not fouled out in overtime, the foul-tip situation at the end of the game might have ended differently.

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LVP: Marcus Paige was nearly non-existent for the entire game and a complete non-factor at the end of regulation and in overtime.  In the biggest game so far this season, the North Carolina Tar Heels needed their best player to step up and lead their team to victory.  Paige instead faded to the background when his team needed him most.

Stat of the Night: 62 points in the paint.  A very impressive number against a team that is well coached and has one of the biggest, most talented centers in all of the country.  Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson were incredibly efficient in the paint, getting tough scores with the Duke defense draped all over them.

The Starters

G. North Carolina Tar Heels. JUSTIN JACKSON. D+. 21 min, 1-8 FG, 0-2 3P, 2 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 TO<br />Utterly ineffective tonight. He deserved the LVP as much as Paige did.

MARCUS PAIGE. D. 34 min, 2-11 FG, 1-3 3P, 5 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 TO<br />Paige is way too talented to have the kind of game he had tonight. Good on him for finishing with 11 shots and contributing in other fashions, but he needed to be the star tonight and could not deliver.. G. North Carolina Tar Heels

A-. 37 min, 7-15 FG, 1-2 FT, 15 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO<br />Incredible effort for Totoko who had four offensive rebounds. He played with a lot of determination and showed off his athleticism with a couple impressive dunks.. F. North Carolina Tar Heels. J.P. TOTOKO

24 min, 7-10 FG, 4-5 FT, 18 PTS, 12 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK, 1 TO<br />Not much bad you can say about Johnson, other than he fouled out, but he was active and made Duke work for everything down low (after the first part of the first half).. F. North Carolina Tar Heels. BRICE JOHNSON. A

North Carolina Tar Heels. KENNEDY MEEKS. A-. 33 min, 8-10 FG, 2-4 FT, 18 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO<br />Against the best player in the nation, Meeks stepped up to the plate and challenged Okafor in the low block where he had a couple of nice baskets taking it right to his chest.. F

The Bench

JOEL BERRY II. C-. 24 min, 1-6 FG, 1-3 3P, 4 PTS, 0 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1 TO<br />Set up his teammates well and played solid defense but could not contribute enough points to help the cause.. G. North Carolina Tar Heels

G. North Carolina Tar Heels. NATE BRITT. C. 23 min, 4-10 FG, 0-2 3PT, 3-6 FT, 11 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO<p>Did a great job on defense in second half keeping the perimeter players in check, but missed key free throws down the stretch. Can’t do that when you shoot 90.2 percent from the free-throw line.</p>

21 min, 5-9 FG, 2-3 FT, 12 PTS, 3REB, 2 TO<br />Hicks provided a good inside presence and finished his opportunities, but he Elsa’d and froze in the final possession waiting for Totoko to get open.. F. North Carolina Tar Heels. ISAIAH HICKS. B

12 min, 3-4 FG, 6 PTS, 5 REB, 1 STL, 0 TO, 3 fouls<br />Very productive on the glass in limited minutes and defended Okafor well. 3 offensive rebounds kept the game within reach for the Tar Heels.. F. North Carolina Tar Heels. JOEL JAMES. B

Next: Game Grades: Duke rally for dramatic win

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