Davis Explains 2 Factors in How UNC Overcame Duke

The North Carolina Tar Heels pulled off a miraculous comeback win over #4 Duke in the latest chapter of the historic rivalry between the two ACC teams.

Despite trailing by as much as 13 in the first half, and down multiple possessions for the majority of the contest, the Tar Heels stormed back with a 9-0 run in the final minutes which was capped off by Seth Trimble’s game-winning three-pointer as time expired to steal a 71-68 win from Duke.

Along with Trimble’s heroics, big performances from Caleb Wilson, and Henri Veesaar also proved to be catalysts in the stunning victory. Wilson scored 23 points, playing all 40 minutes, and Veesaar had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double in the win. The Tar Heels’ big three has carried the team all season, and they did once again in their matchup with the Blue Devils.

Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) celebrates with teammates after the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

More than bragging rights

The win was perhaps the biggest of the season for the Tar Heels, not only for bragging rights in the Duke-UNC rivalry, but it also gives the Tar Heels a much-needed win over the best team in the ACC, and extends their winning streak to five games. UNC is now 19-4 overall, and 7-3 in ACC play despite a slow start to their conference schedule.

After the win, head coach Hubert Davis talked about what it took to overcome their large deficit and eventually pull off the upset victory over their bitter rivals.

“We continued to fight,” Davis said. “I think one of the things that we were missing is that we didn’t join the fight. Every 50-50 loose ball, they were getting, whether the ball was going up in the air, or on the ground, they were the first ones to get it. We just continued to stick to it. Everytime that we got knocked down, not only did we get back up, we kept taking a step forward.

“As we continued to cut into the lead, our confidence just got better on both ends of the floor,” he added. Our execution got better, our stops got better, our communication on defense got better, our rebounding got better, our simple and sound plays on the offensive end got better.”

Feb 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) on the free throw line in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Selection Sunday quickly approaching

After a sluggish start to conference play, including losses to Stanford, and California, North Carolina has begun to turn a corner. The #14-ranked Tar Heels are rolling right now, and they’ll look to carry this momentum into the final month of the season, and eventually into Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament.

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