Heel Tough Blog: Duke Recap

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For a rivalry matchup that had just about everything to offer going into last night’s game, what it did not have was a UNC buzzer-beater against Duke, but that changed in a big way last night, as senior guard Seth Trimble knocked in a three with 0.4 left on the clock to beat Duke 71-68. The 0.4 seconds led was the only time on the clock that Carolina led, after trailing by as many as 13 in the first half and 12 at halftime. They trailed by 9 at the under-8 media timeout, and by 6 with two and a half minutes left to play, but like Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV, they were never knocked out, and kept punching Duke back, with critical stops over the final three minutes. After less-than-memorable first halves, both Derek Dixon and Henri Veesaar stepped up in the second half, as they both hit a three-pointer to help tie the game up at 68 in the final minute. That final minute will live in Carolina Basketball lore for years to come, but it didn’t get off to a great start, as Seth Trimble was stripped and turned the ball over with 39.6 left to play. Still tied at 68 and needing a defensive stop, Duke’s Cameron Boozer was able to get to the front of the rim, but was unable to convert, and another strong rebound gave Carolina a chance to win the game in regulation. And that’s exactly what they did, as Hubert Davis called a play that they work on a ton in practice, getting Derek Dixon a run to the rim, with a big man clashing from the top of the key, but the ball was forced to be skipped into the corner, where Seth Trimble was left all alone, allowing him to hit the most signature shot of his Tar Heel career, and hit a shot that puts him in the same conversation with Caleb Love for greatest shots all-time against Duke. 

For all the heroics of Seth Trimble, last night’s comeback wouldn’t have been possible without Caleb Wilson, who showed up and showed out in his first Duke game, continuing to prove that he’s not an ordinary freshman and is worthy of ACC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year honors. Wilson played the entire game and scored 23 points, on 8-12 shooting, and was a perfect 6-6 from the foul line. While Boozer had a double-double, Wilson was the best and the most impactful player on the floor last night, doing everything his team needed him to do to give them a chance to win the game. He scored 17 of his points in the first half, keeping Carolina somewhat in the game, as they trailed 41-29 at the half. And while he scored just 6 points in the second half, he scored the first four out of the halftime break, getting Carolina right back into the game, and letting Duke know they weren’t done fighting just yet. Wilson said on Thursday that only winning impacts the legacy you want to leave behind, and as he’s destined for NBA greatness, he’s leaving a legacy behind that not many one-and-done players have before. 

After getting swept by Duke last year, the pressure was on Hubert Davis and on Carolina to respond. Davis entered last night’s game with a losing record against Duke (4-6), and with uneven results in March, hasn’t been able to defend his struggles in the rivalry, unlike Roy Williams, who ran the better program during his time on the UNC bench, but had a losing record against the Blue Devils. Yesterday was the 11-year anniversary of the passing of Coach Smith, and on the sidelines, he had a former player leading the program and the family that he built. And not only was Hubert Davis a former player, with his suit and tie look, he also looked like Coach Smith on the sidelines, and in the final minutes, he coached like him, propelling Carolina to as rewarding a home victory over Duke in quite some time: 

1. Late Game Execution: Quietly, Carolina has developed a reputation for closing games out, even when trailing late in the game, as they’ve now won games against Kentucky, Ohio State, Virginia, and Duke when trailing deep into the game. Last night, though, Carolina literally only led for 0.4 seconds and had to make the exact plays they made down the stretch to win the game. It felt a lot like the 2005 win over Duke in the Smith Center, where Carolina was down 9 with less than 3 minutes left to play, and still won the game. Carolina closed the game on a 9-0 run, going 4-4 from the field, including 3-3 from behind the arc, holding Duke without a field goal for the final 2:51 of the game. 

2. Veesaar Bounces Back: In the first half, Veesaar played 15 minutes, and failed to score a single point, grabbed just 2 rebounds, and was a big reason why Carolina was down 12 on the scoreboard and getting bullied on the glass. But the Arizona transfer responded in the second half, scoring 13 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, to finish with his ACC-leading 13th double-double. Like Wilson, Veesaar played the entire second half, and with Duke’s frontcourt in foul trouble, was able to exploit Maliq Brown and Patrick Ngonbga, who eventually fouled out of the game. Veesaar was 6-7 from the field, including hitting a three to tie the game at 68, to send the Dean Dome into a frenzy. Between him and Wilson, the duo combined to score 36 points on 14-21 shooting, and grabbed 15 total rebounds, and as we’ve seen over the course of the season, when they produce big games each, Carolina can play with and beat anybody in the country. 

3. Seth Trimble: Seth Trimble arrived at Carolina as the younger brother of JP Tokoto, but last night cemented a legacy that was worth staying around for, in a day and time where nobody stays at a place four years, due to the NBA or the transfer portal. Trimble’s shot is the latest game-winning shot in the history of the Duke rivalry from a UNC perspective, and the first win of that nature since the 2017 win over Kentucky in the Elite Eight.  While hitting the most memorable shot of his Carolina career, he also scored 16 points, the most for him against Duke, going 5-7 from the field, and 5-8 from the foul line. 

4. Perimeter Shooting: While Duke owned the paint, outscoring Carolina 36-22, it was Carolina’s perimeter shooting that gave them a lift, going 8-19, for an efficient 42%. The shooting ability we heard so much about when this team was put together is starting to show itself during this win streak, where UNC has shot 38% or better from behind the arc in each win. Last night, seven different Tar Heels made a triple, with only Derek Dixon being the one to hit multiple shots from the outside, including one to make it 68-65, as UNC was making its final push. 

5. Free Throws & Turnovers: One thing that kept Carolina in the game was their ability to convert at the foul line, going 11-14, and their ability to take care of the basketball, only turning it over 7 times, leading to 9 Duke points. And given that Carolina lost the battle on the boards and the points in the paint battle, they had to do something to keep the game close in some capacity. 

6. Court Storming: A lot has already been made about UNC’s court storming, after Jon Scheyer alleged that he had a staff member punched in the face (there’s no evidence of such), combined with Carolina’s status as a blue blood college basketball program. This is the third time the court has been stormed since 2005, and they all have a common theme. Signature wins at home against Duke. In 2005, it was Roy Williams’s first win over Duke, on his way to his first national championship. In 2014, it came 8 days after Duke was too scared to make the drive on some ice, and even after UNC offered to send their own buses over to get them. And last night’s was after UNC erased their largest deficit against Duke in 25 years, and finally secured a buzzer beater of their own to add to the montage of highlights that tell the story of the rivalry. Storming the court was the right thing to do, and it doesn’t make Carolina any less of a program for doing so. You don’t want the court stormed? Don’t blow a 13-point lead on the road. Go To Hell Duke!

Up Next: UNC is back in action on Tuesday night, when they travel to Miami. The tip is set for 7 PM on ESPN. 

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