Duke students camp out for big game

DURHAM (WTVD) -- Duke students were held up in tents for weeks for a chance to attend the Tobacco Road showdown.

The Duke-UNC rivalry is considered the best in college basketball.

Duke students have been camping out in Krzyzewskiville to get tickets for weeks.

Most tickets were distributed Sunday, but that didn't stop students from camping out Monday.

A seat in Cameron Indoor Stadium is a hot item.

Duke students camped out for weeks hoping to get their hands on a golden ticket and hoping for a big win against Carolina.

One freshman actually got run over by a car while camping out in the standby line Wednesday morning and he says it's just part of the experience.

"I'm asleep right & a car comes and the tire is right here on my knees," Duke freshman Michael Diaz said. "I wake up start banging on the hood, these guys start yelling. "She stays there for about seven seconds until she realizes she's on a human being."

Witnesses say the driver was trying to go around the crossbar to enter the parking lot. They say when she realized what had happened, she turned around and left.

The student says he's a little sore, but should be just fine.

UNC has won the last three games that were played at Cameron. It's a trend Duke hopes to change.

"You know, not only the whole state will be watching, but the whole world," one Duke student said.

"Obviously, they are a great team, but the third time's a charm," another Duke student said.

The two teams will face off again on March 8 in Chapel Hill. That game will be the final one for both teams before the ACC tournament.

And the mayors of Chapel Hill and Durham are betting big on tonight's game.

The mayor of the losing team's city will wear the winning teams school colors to their next town or city council meeting.

Tip off was at 9 p.m. UNC beat Duke 101-87.

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local/state, sabrina zimring

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