This post is part of The Arena Pulse's Player of the Night feature.
Each morning throughout the 2011-12 season, The Arena Pulse will select and name its "Player of the Night" from the previous evening's action.
Was last night's Duke-North Carolina showdown the best college basketball game of the season?
Well that remains a matter of opinion; but what is certain, is the fact that Duke's incredible comeback on the road in Chapel Hill will never be forgotten in the lore of the two school's heated rivalry.
Believe it or not, it was the Blue Devils' freshman star who got the job done when his team needed it the most on Wednesday night.
The winner of The Arena Pulse's Player of the Night (2/8):
Name: Austin Rivers
School: Duke
Class: Freshman
Position: Guard
Stat Line: 29 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
With his father (Doc) in the stands, Duke guard Austin Rivers stole the show and hit a shot that will forever be remembered in this great Duke-North Carolina rivalry.
On the morning after, Chapel Hill undoubtedly remains shocked, for the game was seemingly over with 2:33 left to play.
Down by ten, Duke turned things up a notch, never giving up and setting the tone for Rivers' game-winner.
The freshman buried the game-clinching shot from distance, effectively erasing a two-point deficit and sending the Blue Devils home as 85-84 winners.
Rivers finished the game with a career-high 29 points, converting on 6-of-10 shots from beyond the arc, shooting 9-of-16 overall in the game.
In addition to his offensive output, Rivers also added five rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Yet to his credit, there is only one shot that will stand out the most of any statistic.
Duke (20-4, 7-2) returns home to Cameron Indoor on Saturday, as the Blue Devils prepare to play host to Maryland (14-9, 4-5). Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. (EST).
*Photo: Austin Rivers *Credit: bleacherreport.com
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Original Story:
http://www.thearenapulse.com/2012/02/...
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February 09, 2012
