CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Harrison Ingram saw his teammate’s shot go up, then the ball bouncing off the back of the rim and clipping the glass as it headed toward a Duke rebounder.
No way he was letting that happen.
Instead, North Carolina’s versatile 6-foot-7 forward batted at the ball to keep it alive, then tipped it back to bounce off the feet of Duke’s Tyrese Proctor then dove to the floor to beat Proctor to the ball. He quickly flung it back toward midcourt, keeping alive a possession that ended with UNC whipping the ball around for Cormac Ryan’s critical 3-pointer.
It was the second-half play that summarized everything about Ingram’s effort as the third-ranked Tar Heels beat the seventh-ranked Blue Devils 93-84 on Saturday night. It was the highlight-reel moment, borne entirely of effort, on a night where he made his impact felt all over the court in his first Duke-UNC matchup.
“He was terrific, he was hitting shots, rebounding, playing with energy,” Ryan said. “Just like he does. That’s exactly what we needed in a game like this.”