Nolan Smith poured in a career-high 34 points as No. 5 Duke rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to edge No. 21 North Carolina, 79-73, in a battle of Atlantic Coast Conference leaders Wednesday night in Durham, N.C.

Down 43-29 at the midway point, the Blue Devils (22-2, 9-1 ACC) opened the second half with an 8-0 run and then added a 13-1 surge to pull in front, 60-56, with 8:23 to go. Duke was able to hold on the rest of the way by making 11 of its final 14 free throws after a 4-for-9 start.

North Carolina dominated the glass early and finished with a 45-40 rebounding edge, but the Tar Heels' shooting struggles accelerated their second-half demise. They hit just 2 of 14 from 3-point range.

Seth Curry contributed 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, combining with Smith to score 40 of Duke's 50 points in the second half.

Tyler Zeller led North Carolina (17-6, 7-2) with 24 points and 13 rebounds, while John Henson added 14 points and 12 boards.