NEW ORLEANS – North Carolina took one more step Saturday night toward winning a national championship by defeating Duke, 81-77, in the national semifinals at the Superdome.

The Tar Heels withstood a Blue Devils strike to open the second half by using a 13-0 run to take a lead, as the game then went back and forth for the next hour before the Heels made enough plays late to get the victory.

Key among them was a three-pointer by Caleb Love over the out-stretched arms of 7-foot-1 Blue Devils big man Mark Williams. The shot put Carolina ahead 78-74, putting Duke’s back against the wall. Love also made three free throws over the final 17 seconds helping to preserve the win.