Fansided

Duke, UNC lose to unranked teams on the same day

By Parker Hurley

Feb 17, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) with the ball as guard Derryck Thornton (12) North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) look on in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 17, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) with the ball as guard Derryck Thornton (12) North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) look on in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Two of the most premier college basketball rivals fell flat on their face on the same day

Typically Duke fans would love to lament in a loss of their rival North Carolina, no matter who to. Carolina fans can feel the same way about a typical Duke loss. Making it be to an unranked, conference foe only adds icing to the cake, right?

Well, that would be if their own respective school were able to hold up their end of beating an unranked conference foe while their rival fell. No. 5 ranked Duke lost to Virginia Tech, 89-75 and the ninth-ranked Tarheels of North Carolina lost to Georgia Tech, 75-63.

If this sounds like a rare occurrence, it is because it is. This will mark the first time that this has happened since 1989, or in other words, none of the players in today’s game were born the last time that it happened. As a matter of fact, this is only the third time in program history where both big-name basketball schools were ranked in the top ten and fell to an unranked opponent.

The Blue Devils fans may be able to find some excuses for their disappointing defeat. Grayson Allen missed the game due to his suspension, and subsequently was stripped of his captain status on the team in the same day, as he failed to be on the team when they needed him. Harry Giles is returning from injury and did not play a big role in the game, and freshman phenom Jayson Tatum was playing in just his sixth overall game for the Blue Devils. It is safe to say this is not the same team that had them ranked so highly.

The Tar Heels can use an injury earlier in the week and a far less than 100-percent Joel Berry II for their disappointment. Berry played in the game, but only scored eight points. The Tar Heels entered their game with Georgia Tech on a seven-game win streak in the series, and own the overall series, 66-25.