Kon Knueppel scored 17 points and No. 1 Duke held off a furious second half rally by North Carolina to beat its rival for the third time this season, 74-71 on Friday night to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game.

There was a development in the ACC Tournament on Thursday that could have ramifications at both ends of the bracket. Duke All-American freshman Cooper Flagg suffered a sprained ankle in the first half of the Blue Devils' win over Georgia Tech in the ACC quarterfinals.

The No. 1 Duke Blue Devils play in the ACC Tournament against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Friday's game is the third meeting of the season between the two teams.

No. 1 seed Duke won three games in three days in Charlotte, North Carolina this week to capture the 2025 ACC Tournament championship for the 23rd time in program history and first since 2023. Duke defeated No.

For the third time this season, Duke and North Carolina are battling for their respective shades of blue. This time, in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils are out to a commanding 45-24 lead.

North Carolina was among the "last four" into the NCAA Tournament despite going 1-12 vs. the top competition on their schedule.