How UNC Beat Duke in Way No One Else Could

The No. 4-ranked Duke Blue Devils (21-2, 10-1 ACC) fell in grueling fashion in Chapel Hill to No. 14 North Carolina (19-4, 7-3 ACC) on Saturday night, after a buzzer-beating three by Seth Trimble gave the Tar Heels a 71-68 victory. The defeat snaps the Blue Devils' 10-game win streak and is their first loss in conference play.

Interestingly enough, it's not like Duke played a bad game by any means. It shot 45% from the field and 7-of-19 (37%) from the three-point line while beating North Carolina 36-22 in the paint and committing just eight turnovers.

THIS RIVALRY DOES NOT DISAPPOINT ‼️

SETH TRIMBLE GAME-WINNER FOR NORTH CAROLINA 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uVsOm9DIav
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 8, 2026

The Blue Devils held double-digit leads in both halves and were in control for almost the entirety of the way. Sophomore center Pat Ngongba fouled out with about six minutes to go, and that ended up playing a major role down the stretch.

Now, even though Duke played a great game in one of the toughest road environments to play in in all of college basketball, the Tar Heels did find a way to take down the Blue Devils that no other team in the nation has been able to accomplish. North Carolina is one of the few teams in the entire sport that can match Duke's length at most positions on the floor, and it used that to its advantage on Saturday.

Duke Limited in Free Throw Department for First Time This Season

In terms of pure free-throw attempts, Duke has been absolutely dominant against nearly every opponent in that category. Duke ranks sixth in the ACC in total free throw attempts on the year (531), while allowing the fewest free throw attempts to its opponents of any team in the conference (312).

Duke sits at 199th nationally in team free-throw shooting percentage (71.8) according to KenPom, but the sheer volume it takes on a game-to-game basis makes it a major advantage most of the time all year.

Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina Completely Took Charity Stripe Away From Duke

Duke went 5-of-6 (83.3%) from the charity stripe in the first half, but couldn't use it at all in the second half. North Carolina committed just one foul across the entirety of the second frame, and the Blue Devils didn't attempt one free throw.

The Tar Heels themselves went 11-of-14 (79%) at the line, making six more than Duke and attempting eight more than the Blue Devils.

Feb 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) grabs a rebound in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

No squad has been able to outdo Duke in the free-throw department all season, and the Tar Heels were able to completely keep the Blue Devils away from the line for an entire half to squeak by with a victory.

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