Fouls just spelled ruin for the Duke Blue Devils, literally.
After winning matchup after matchup after matchup against the UNC Tar Heels, last season alone, the Blue Devils were bested by their rivals on Saturday night, and it was one of the craziest endings ever.
North Carolina senior Seth Trimble nailed a three-point shot, seemingly sealing the Blue Devils' fate, despite Duke leading for the entire game until that point.
Tar Heel fans stormed the court, and then... they had to head back to their seats. Officials reviewed the shot and there were still 0.4 seconds remaining on the clock. After a little more chaos of clearing off the court, Duke tried and failed to inbound the ball and then the game was (actually) over.
Cameron Boozer's effort wasn't enough to topple UNC
There couldn't have been a more fitting finish to the rivalry game, which came with a little extra pressure this season with both teams boasting some of the best freshmen in the country: Cameron Boozer for No. 4 Duke and Caleb Wilson for No. 14 Carolina.
Boozer's 24-point, 11-rebound effort wasn't enough to push his team to victory, but Wilson's 23-point effort wasn't really the story of the night for the Heels; it was Trimble's game.
"They whooped us last year, they whooped us in every way possible," Trimble said after the game (actually) ended.
UNC celebration.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 8, 2026
Now they are clearing the court storm.
This is classic. Never seen anything like this before. pic.twitter.com/0gqbqJrsiH
Duke and head coach Jon Scheyer beat the Tar Heels three times last season, and the young head coach had a 5-2 record against the Blue Devils' rival. That all ended on Saturday night, and it was because of Trimble's performance.
Beyond his semi-buzzer-beater to clinch the win, Trimble amassed 16 total points, three steals, two rebounds, and one block as he finally took down Duke again.
The loss isn't the end of the world for the Blue Devils. They're still 21-2 overall, and the loss to Carolina was the first conference defeat they had suffered all season.
However, their 15 fouls, 45 percent field goal shooting, and eight turnovers ended the hot streak (on the year and against their rival).
Up next, No. 4 Duke will visit Pittsburgh in what could be a get-right or a trap game. The Blue Devils and the Pitt Panthers are scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 10, and the matchup will be aired on ESPN.