UNC at Duke - Player of the Game: Garrison Brooks

The Tar Heels fell to the Blue Devils last night, 89-76, marking the first time since 2015 that Duke has swept the regular season series. Though the Heels hung around for the majority of the game, a late surge by Tre Jones and company put it away for good.

Garrison Brooks was the main reason Carolina was able to stay in the game for as long as they did. He didn’t have the most efficient night (9-22 from the field) but he notched 26 points and 13 rebounds and was seemingly the only source of scoring for various stretches of the game. He spent much of the night going back and forth with Vernon Carey but ultimately Carey got the best of the matchup.

Armando Bacot is an honorable mention for player of the game, and it’s likely he would’ve gotten it had he not picked up his fourth foul roughly midway through the game. Bacot finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds on 5-7 shooting. He was becoming a load for the Blue Devils down low before his exit. He’s also the only player on the team who possesses the length to truly bother Carey, who scored 14 points after Bacot left the game.

Brooks and Bacot combined for 15 offensive rebounds but the Heels were having a tough time finishing buckets at the rim. Carolina attempted 18 more shots than the Blue Devils but had just four more makes.

Cole Anthony had a rough night as he was hounded by Tre Jones all game long. He finished with just nine points on 4-14 shooting. Moreover, Christian Keeling’s hot streak came to an end as he knocked in just one of his six field goal attempts. Brandon Robinson added 11 points and was 3-5 from beyond the arc.