Durham, NC (Sports Network) - In the latest prank of the bitter Tobacco Road rivalry between Duke and North Carolina, a fan stole the head of the Blue Devils' mascot prior to the game and placed it on a spike above a store on the Chapel Hill campus.
The Blue Devils, though, had the last laugh as it was the Tar Heels who lost their heads in the second half, especially from the foul line.
And Duke gave head coach Mike Krzyzewski a fine 66th birthday present.
Mason Plumlee battled foul trouble and posted 18 points and 12 rebounds in No. 2 Duke's 73-68 win over North Carolina.
UNC led wire-to-wire in the opening 20 minutes and Duke didn't take its first lead until 14:10 was left in the game.
Quinn Cook added 18 points, five rebounds and four steals for the Blue Devils (22-2, 9-2 ACC), who have won six straight contests.
P.J. Hairston tallied 23 points and eight rebounds to lead UNC (16-8, 6-5), which has dropped back-to-back tilts.
The Tar Heels went just 9-of-17 from the charity stripe over the final 20 minutes.
