Duke Suffers Heartbreaking Defeat at North Carolina

There are few words to describe the painful defeat that the Duke basketball program (21-2, 10-1 ACC) endured in Chapel Hill on Saturday night in the first edition of the best rivalry in college basketball. After controlling the majority of the way, holding double-digit leads in both halves, Duke crumbled in the final few minutes, losing on a buzzer-beating three by UNC guard Seth Trimble.

College basketball is in a much better place when Duke and North Carolina are two great teams and give fans two great games a year, but this contest will forever live in infamy and will be a tough watch for the Blue Devil faithful for quite some time.

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The Blue Devils deserved to win this game, and it looked like they were going to take it fairly comfortably for a good portion of the second half.

Duke entered the halftime locker room with a 41-29 lead. It shot 53.3% from the field and 4-of-8 (50%) from the three-point line in the first half, while limiting the Tar Heels to 33.3% shooting from the floor and 3-of-12 (25%) from beyond the arc.

scheye — Jan 31, 2026; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer watches his team against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the second half against Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The second half was a different story, however. The Blue Devils shot just 37.5% from the field across the second frame and 3-of-11 (27.3%) from the perimeter, while North Carolina shot 60.7% from the field and 5-of-7 (71.4%) from three. Duke didn't attempt a single free throw in the entire second half.

Overall, the Blue Devils played a good game. Duke shot 45% from the field and 7-of-19 (37%) from the three-point line while outscoring the Tar Heels in the paint 36-22 and committing just eight turnovers.

Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) with the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jonathan Powell (11) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Foul trouble became a major issue down the stretch and ended up playing a huge role in the final result. Duke sophomore center Pat Ngongba fouled out with about six minutes to go, and with UNC's length that can match that of the Blue Devils down low, it made it extremely difficult for Duke to limit North Carolina's opportunities inside.

Jan 17, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) celebrates against the Stanford Cardinal in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Where Does Duke Stand in the NET?

Despite a crushing loss, Duke still owns one of the best bodies of work in college basketball. It is now 10-2 in Quadrant 1, 13-2 across the first two quadrants, 11-0 at home, and 7-1 in true road games.

The Blue Devils are currently No. 3 in the NCAA NET Rankings with a 7-2 record against AP Top 25 opponents. Duke should still be on the 1-seed line in NCAA Tournament projections.

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