CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? North Carolina dived headfirst back into its rivalry with Duke.

The Tar Heels salvaged their up-and-down season and three-year slump against their arch rival by beating the 10th-ranked Blue Devils, 82-79, Sunday in a wild ending to the regular season.

“We’ve been taking punches to the face all year, and we’ve come off the mat each time,” said North Carolina coach Matt Doherty, who was involved in a shouting/shoving incident during the game. “We came off the mat today and played a great game against a great opponent. What a gutsy effort. To me it was one of those classic Carolina-Duke games.”

The Tar Heels went a program-worst 8-20 last year and lost to the Blue Devils by 29 at home before rebounding this season with a 16-14 record with one of the nation’s youngest teams.

“To double the win total from last year, I think that shows a lot about this team,” Doherty said. “And again, this schedule is one of the toughest in the country.”

Rashad McCants scored 26 points, and Raymond Felton added 18 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists as the Tar Heels snapped a six-game losing skid to Duke, which saw its streak of 12-win ACC seasons end at six straight.

A 30-footer by Dahntay Jones, who led Duke (21-6 overall, 11-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) with 22 points, that would have tied the game came just after the buzzer sounded. The officials watched TV replays to confirm the late shot as thousands of fans stormed the floor at the Smith Center.

“I was getting ready to drop to my knees and cry,” North Carolina’s Jawad Williams said. “But it was good feeling that it didn’t count.”

No. 7 Pitt 56, Villanova 54

Philadelphia — Suspension-strapped Villanova had just seven players in uniform and still gave Pittsburgh a fight. Brandin Knight, who had 15 points for the Panthers (23-4, 13-3 Big East) missed five free throws over the final 1:15. The Wildcats (15-14, 8-8) had 12 players suspended Saturday for allegedly making unauthorized telephone calls. The penalties were staggered, allowing Villanova to field a team.

No. 12 Syracuse 83, Rutgers 74

Syracuse, N.Y. — Freshman Carmelo Anthony had 30 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Orangemen completed their first unbeaten season in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse (23-4, 13-3 Big East) finished 17-0 at home for the first time since the dome opened in 1980. The win also was No. 1,600 for Syracuse, making it the seventh Division One program to attain that milestone. The game attracted 33,071, an NCAA on-campus record.

Virginia 80, No. 13 Maryland 78, OT

Charlottesville, Va. — Travis Watson had 26 points and 15 rebounds in what might have been his last home game at Virginia, and the Cavaliers stunned Maryland. Virginia (15-14, 6-10 Atlantic Coast Conference) snapped a seven-game losing streak in dramatic fashion and swept the Terrapins to avoid playing in the No. 8 vs. No. 9 play-in game at the ACC tournament. Drew Nicholas had 27 points for Maryland (19-8, 11-5), which clinched the second seed in the ACC tournament despite the loss because Duke lost earlier in the day to North Carolina.

No. 14 Illinois 84, Minnesota 60

Champaign, Ill. — Brian Cook scored 22 points, six in a decisive 19-4 second-half run, for Illinois. The Illini (21-6, 11-5 Big Ten) won their 17th straight home game and beat Minnesota (16-11, 8-8) for the 10th consecutive time.

No. 19 Creighton 70, WSU 69

St. Louis — Kyle Korver had 19 points, and Creighton escaped with a one-point win for the second straight day. The second-seeded Bluejays (28-4) will meet top-seeded Southern Illinois (24-5) for the tournament championship tonight. Randy Burns had 21 points for Wichita State (18-11), which led 40-30 at halftime.

No. 25 Georgia 60, South Carolina 55, OT

Columbia, S.C. — Jarvis Hayes and Steve Thomas combined for all 10 Georgia points in overtime. The win was the second in three games for Georgia (19-8, 11-5 Southeastern Conference) since the basketball program was charged by a former player with providing extra benefits and academic improprieties. Hayes led Georgia with 19 points and 11 rebounds.