Guard Dez Wells slips between two Duke defenders on his way to making a layup to tie up the game in the Terps’ 69-67 loss to Duke on Feb. 15, 2014 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

DURHAM, N.C. — Before his team’s 69-67 victory over the Terrapins men’s basketball team Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski spent time with Terps special assistant coach Juan Dixon.

After the game, he sought out Dixon to talk with him some more.

College basketball’s winningest coach called Dixon, a Terps All-American guard in the early 2000s, one of his five favorite players. And when the Terps leave the ACC in the summer, Krzyzewski won’t have an annual matchup to see Dixon or recall memories of different Terps-Blue Devils bouts that have drawn the attention of the nation for 50 years.

Afterwards, Krzyzewski spoke on the significance of his program’s rivalry with the Terps.

“The players, the coaches and the teams that have shared these unforgettable moments, it won’t be replicated,” Krzyzewski said.

Krzyzewski was also complimentary of the current Terps, who erased an early 10-point deficit and fell short of topping the No. 8 Blue Devils.

“We beat a real gutty team today,” he said. “That was vintage Cameron. That was one for the ages.”

Guard Dez Wells, who scored 17 second-half points Saturday night, praised Krzyzewski and mentioned how thrilled he was to be part of the rivalry, despite his team’s loss.

“It meant a lot playing against, in my eyes, the greatest coach of all-time,” Wells said. “Just to play against him and compete against him with one of the greatest coaches right now, Mark Turgeon, I feel like it’s just amazing to be a part of this heritage and be a part of this tradition against Duke.”

The messages from Krzyzewski and Wells after the game were similar. Both the Duke coach and Terps’ leading scorer have said that they are ready to accept change and build new rivalries.

But, especially after another intense contest, both Krzyzewski and Wells are sad to see the rivalry end.

“The one constant factor,” Krzyzewski said of the Terps-Duke matchups, “is that they have been great games.”