Friday night’s ACC Tournament semifinal always had the possibility for an exciting sequel to the game in 2019 — the one where a Duke freshman phenom named Zion Williamson led the Blue Devils to a 1-point win in front of a raucous crowd in Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
The sequel was different, surely.
But maybe equally thrilling.
Officially, the Duke Blue Devils took charge of a back-and-forth affair after the game’s first 7 minutes and didn’t relinquish the lead thereafter en route to a 74-71 win. But after concluding the first half on a 13-0 run — one in which Duke got after every loose ball and finished wide-open layups and looked disciplined and inspired — the Tar Heels somehow scraped back, cutting the game to as close as 1 point as early as 3:41 left in the contest.
The comeback — and the fight thereafter — sent the half-and-half crowd into a thundering tizzy that never relented.
The game was ultimately decided in the final 5 seconds. The sequence: Down 72-71, with 17 seconds left, Tar Heel head coach Hubert Davis called a timeout and drew up a play to free up RJ Davis but a good Duke switched foiled that plan. The play resulted in Ven-Allen Lubin receiving an entry pass and making a post move and getting fouled. Lubin missed the first free throw, and the second attempt was disqualified because of a lane violation by Jae’Lyn Withers.
North Carolina forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) launches a last second thee point shot, securing a 74-71 victory for Duke on Friday, March 14, 2025 during the semifinals of the ACC Tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Robert Willett [email protected]
Kon Knueppel received an inbounds pass thereafter, hit two free throws, and then a Lubin 3 caromed off the rim as time expired — and the Duke players and coaches on the bench turned to the crowd with their arms raised as if they were all Russell Crowe from Gladiator. Everyone — undeniably everyone — was entertained.
The victory delivered the Blue Devils a trip to the ACC Tournament final for a shot at a conference accolade head coach Jon Scheyer openly explained Thursday was not the end goal for this year’s group. That was a huge reason why the third-year head coach opted to not play Duke’s freshman phenom this year — Cooper Flagg — after he rolled his ankle in Duke’s game Thursday. The decision tested the team’s mettle, no doubt.
The loss for the Tar Heels, conversely, flings their NCAA Tournament hopes into limbo, though many might consider such a fight against even a Flagg-less and Maliq Brown-less Duke dignified enough for an at-large bid.
Lubin led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting and added 10 rebounds. Duke was led by freshman Knueppel, who finished with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. Four other Blue Devils ended in double figures: Khaman Maluach (13 points), Sion James (12), Patrick Ngongba (12) and Tyrese Proctor (11).
North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau (3) reacts as he leaves the court after falling 74-71 to Duke on Friday, March 14, 2025 during the semifinals of the ACC Tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Robert Willett [email protected]
The nail in the proverbial coffin seemed hammered in early before a ferocious Tar Heel comeback effort.
How early? First-half early.
Duke’s Khaman Maluach (9) and North Carolina’s Jae’Lyn Withers (24) go after a rebound during the second half of Duke’s 74-71 victory over UNC in the semifinals of the 2025 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, March 14, 2025. Ethan Hyman [email protected]
After a Lubin 3-point airball with the shot-clock winding down — only his second 3-point attempt all season — the Blue Devils went on a 13-0 run to end the half, a run that spanned the first half’s final 4:42. In that stretch, Duke out-hustled North Carolina to loose balls and had the crowd on its side. That was evidenced after Knueppel dove for a ball to force a jump ball and the expressive Charlotte native and Duke freshman guard Isaiah Evans did his Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn impression — as if he was putting a seatbelt over his lap.
The halftime score saw Duke up, 45-24.
Duke’s Kon Knueppel (7) dives on a loose ball as North Carolina’s Drake Powell (9) tries to take it from him during the first half of Duke’s game against UNC in the semifinals of the 2025 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, March 14, 2025. Ethan Hyman [email protected]
North Carolina fought back valiantly in the second half. The second-half fight that the team showed a few months earlier in the same arena — a close loss to Florida in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte that featured a ferocious comeback effort — was on display. They did it with break-neck speed and a motivated Seth Trimble getting to the free-throw line.
You could see similarities to that December contest everywhere — none more obvious than a Trimble and-one layup with 4:19 to go to cut it to 6. Then an Elliot Cadeau layup cut the game to 4 with just over 2 minutes remaining. Then a Drake Powell free throw cut it to 3.
North Carolina’s Elliot Cadeau (3) drives between the defense of Duke’s Sion James (14) and Khaman Maluach (9) during the first half of Duke’s game against UNC in the semifinals of the 2025 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, March 14, 2025. Ethan Hyman [email protected]
The Tar Heels had several chances to tie the contest. One was a Powell 3 that caromed off the right side of the rim with a minute left. Such possibility lurked around every possession, every free throw, every dribble, until the final buzzer.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 9:37 PM.
