East Rutherford, N.J.

It was on this patch of real estate, here off Exit 16W, that Bill Parcells did his best work. How fitting for this night. How fitting for this game, UConn-Duke, so perfectly framed by a classic Parcells line, whose brevity belies its success in defining the history between the basketball Rockefellers.

Parcells said once to Phil Simms, just before a game against the Redskins at RFK, "Simms, they hate us so much here … they like us."

And isn't that how we view Duke? We hate them so much, we like them. Because no good story is without a villain. And what game do we look forward to more than Duke? What rival has partnered in so many iconic memories, so much joy and pain, so many reminders of UConn basketball's arrival?

Duke. It was in this very gym 24 years ago that Laettner broke so many hearts. Eight years later, berserk UConn fans weren't chanting "We're No. 1!" after the program's first national championship. Instead, "We Beat Duke!" rattled the cement walls of the Trop. Yes. The national championship is great and all … but We Beat Duke! It's Duke. The ultimate frame of reference in UConn's basketball history.

Duke. It was Duke again here Thursday night. Even Jim Calhoun, ESPN analyst, was in the house. And the first half of what became Duke 66, UConn 56 bore witness to one of Calhoun's best lines. It was during the opening moments of the 1999 championship game that Jake Voskuhl was whistled for what Bill Raftery would call a nickle-dimer.

Calhoun whipped around and yelled, "the Duke rules are in effect!"

They were in effect a few years later at the Final Four when Emeka Okafor sat most of the first half with two fouls.

And it happened again at the Izod Center, this time Amida Brimah sitting and watching. Still, the Huskies found themselves on the doorstep, down five at the half, tied at 30 early in the second.

Even with a lineup once - against Duke - of Rakim Lubin, Terrence Samuel, Ryan Boatright, Phil Nolan and long lost Omar Calhoun.

Even with Daniel Hamilton treating the ball like a grenade.

Even with UConn coach Kevin Ollie yelling to nobody in particular, "what the bleep are they doing?"

The Huskies made it ugly. The way they had to. And may have to. But there's an inherent problem with ugly. It requires flawless defense, vicious rebounding, comparable trips to the free throw line and for the other team to contribute with a shooting disorder.

That's not Duke.

And so the champs left the Meadowlands at 4-4. But with, at least, the following bon mots from Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski:

"We beat a heck of a team and a program," he said. "It was a hard fought game. We knew Kevin's team would come at us hard and they did. They're real quick. (Ryan) Boatright is the best guard we've played against thus far. Great heart. A winner."

Krzyzewski, annoyed with his team, called timeout early in the second half. It was, in part, because of Connecticut's tenacity.

"We were out to lunch. In la la land, I thought," Krzyzewski said. "Sometimes, with any team, but especially with a young team, you can get a little bit annoyed with how hard people play against you. You've got to get playing that hard."

And there, in one line, Krzyzewski just told you why the Huskies will be just fine this season. Their effort will be steadfast. And when the effort becomes commensurate with better offensive execution, the wins will flow like Bud in the bleachers.

"Connecticut played their butts off," Krzyzewski said.

The Huskies held Duke to 38 percent shooting. Their game plan, to double-team Jahlil Okafor, worked well. UConn coach Kevin Ollie said as much after the game. Problems: Duke shot 34 free throws to UConn's 13; UConn can't hit a bull in the rear end with a snow shovel from the perimeter.

Moral victories? Not here. But UConn should have left the Meadowlands more optimistic than anything else. If you can do it against Duke … you can do it against anybody.

That's what playing the Blue Devils does for you. You hate them so much … you like them.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius