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UNC ties Duke for most wins vs. No. 1 seeds in March Madness history

By Aryanna Prasad

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 19: Leaky Black #1 and Ryan McAdoo #35 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrate after defeating the Baylor Bears 93-86 in overtime during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 19, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 19: Leaky Black #1 and Ryan McAdoo #35 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrate after defeating the Baylor Bears 93-86 in overtime during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 19, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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The bitter Duke-UNC basketball rivalry deepens as UNC ties with Duke for the most No. 1 defeats in NCAA Tournament history.

When it comes to crosstown rivalries, no one does it better than North Carolina powerhouses Duke and UNC.

The feud between the two spans decades and loyal fans in North Carolina’s Triangle region differ on which team is indeed the best. Until now, Duke had one edge over UNC when it came to March Madness stats, but the tables have turned as UNC pulled an upset overtime win in a wild game against the No. 1 seeded Baylor Bears.

It’s the ninth time that UNC has defeated a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which ties with Duke for the most wins against No. 1 seeds.

UNC ties Duke for most wins vs No. 1 seeds in NCAA Tournament history

Even though Duke previously had the most defeats of a No. 1 seed, it was UNC who entered March Madness with the upper hand in championships.

UNC has made the NCAA tournament in 52 seasons, appearing in 20 Final Four brackets and taking home six championships. Duke has made the NCAA Tournament in 44 seasons, reaching 16 Final Fours and winning five championships.

Duke could get their own tie this season by taking home the championship, which wouldn’t be surprising when considering they’re the the highest remaining seed at No. 2. The Blue Devils demolished Cal State Fullerton Titans on March 18 with a 78-61 record.

On March 20, Duke is set to play against the No. 7 ranked Michigan State Spartans. If UNC and Duke continue to win all of their upcoming games, they would eventually face each other in the Final Four round during the first weekend of April.

Although the superior Carolina team has changed over the years, Duke has entered the 2022 tournament as the better-ranked team. Still, UNC has proven that an underdog can still take the title, especially with the confidence they’ve felt since their 94-81 win over Duke on March 5.

As sweet as it would be to see Coach K win Duke’s sixth trophy, UNC might be the team to prevent the Blue Devils from realizing their dreams.

Next. 30 best UNC basketball players in program history. dark

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