UNC ends St. Peter's run, will face Duke in Final Four

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

UNC ends Saint Peter's Cinderella run, will face rival-Duke in Final Four

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 3/27/22

North Carolina led their Elite Eight matchup against Saint Peter's from start to finish on Sunday, clinching their spot in the Final Four vs. rival Duke with a 69-49 victory. The eighth-seeded Tar Heels and second-seeded Blue Devils will face each other in the national semifinals at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, UNC and Duke have squared off 257 times since 1920, but their meeting in the Final Four will be the first time they've played each other in the NCAA tournament. Additionally, once the Tar Heels take the floor vs. the Blue Devils they'll be extending their record of Final Four appearances to 21, with UCLA holding the second-highest mark at 18.

Hubert Davis wipes tears from his eyes as he walks over to shake Shaheen Holloway's hand. Clearly emotional. Davis is the first first-year head coach to reach the Final Four since Bill Guthridge for UNC back in 1998. This is UNC's 21st Final Four, extending their own record.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 27, 2022

Thamel noted that the NCAA meeting between the two legendary programs wasn't possible until 1975 when the NCAA began allowing more than one team per league into the event. Even so, the duo has only been in the Final Four together one other time back in 1991 when Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski won his first title.

In his outgoing season, "Coach K" and his team will face first-year head coach Hubert Davis' bunch in the Final Four after splitting their two regular-season games. The Blue Devils won by 20 points in the first game in Chapel Hill on Feb. 5, and North Carolina stunned Duke with a 13-point win one month later in Coach K's Cameron Indoor farewell.

Prior to falling to UNC, the Peacocks had already made college basketball history, becoming the No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight. They fell behind 9-0 early on Sunday though and the Tar Heels never looked back.

More must-reads: