CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina did not forget what Duke (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today; No. 9 AP) did in the teams' last meeting.

	Nikki Teasley, right, fires a pass over Duke defender Missy West.

The Tar Heels rebounded Sunday from last month's defeat to the Blue Devils as Nikki Teasley scored 16 points and had six assists and Juana Brown added 13 in a 73-64 win over Duke.

"Yes, we wanted some payback, and it was oh-so-sweet today," Brown said. "Duke is a really great team, so this was just the confidence boost we wanted going into the ACC tournament."

Since losing 101-58 on Jan. 27 at Duke (23-5, 12-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), the Tar Heels (16-11, 8-8) have won six of eight.

Teasley and Jackie Higgins each scored 10 points in the second half, helping North Carolina slowly pull away in the final five minutes for its fourth straight win.

Tar Heels coach Sylvia Hatchell hoped the win would keep North Carolina playing beyond the upcoming ACC tournament.

"The biggest thing about this win was how it affects the NCAA Tournament," Hatchell said. "With the move we've made at the end of the season, we're .500 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. That should put us in the NCAAs. Last year the ACC got five teams in."

The Tar Heels won their fourth in row, snapped Duke's five-game winning streak and guaranteed Virginia the top spot in the league tournament.

Higgins also grabbed 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season for North Carolina.

Krista Gingrich scored 12 of Duke's final 17 points and ended up with a career-high 23 points. Michele Maytasovsky chipped in 13 points for the Blue Devils (23-5, 12-4).

Hindered by a chipped bone in her right leg, Duke's leading scorer, Georgia Schweitzer, finished with eight points.

"I was very disappointed with our defense," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "Our weak-side help and rotation were not what they needed to be, and North Carolina scored some easy baskets because of it."

Duke led most of the way until North Carolina grabbed the lead for good with a 7-0 run while Schweitzer was resting on the bench. Teasley capped the spurt with a 3-pointer that put North Carolina up 46-41 with 7:37 to play.

Gingrich cut the margin to 51-50 with a jumper and free throw with 4:28 remaining. Brown then made consecutive baskets over the next 1:33, pushing North Carolina's lead to 57-50.

North Carolina made 14 of its final 18 free throws to secure the win, with Teasley accounting for seven.