No. 1 Duke survived a furious second-half rally from North Carolina, holding on for a 74-71 victory in the ACC Tournament semifinal Friday night. The Blue Devils (30-3) secured their third win over their archrival this season and advanced to the ACC Championship Game, where they will face the winner of No. 10 Clemson vs. No. 13 Louisville.
Duke, playing without star freshman Cooper Flagg, built a commanding 24-point lead in the second half before the Tar Heels stormed back. Ven-Allen Lubin had a chance to give UNC (22-13) the lead with 4.1 seconds remaining, but he missed the first of two free throws, and his second was waved off after Jae’Lyn Withers stepped into the lane early.
Duke’s Kon Knueppel then sealed the game, sinking two clutch free throws with 2.8 seconds left, and Lubin’s last-second three-pointer missed, ending UNC’s comeback bid.
Despite missing Flagg, Duke showed its depth. Knueppel led the way with 17 points, while Khaman Maluach added 13 points and nine rebounds. Sion James chipped in 12 points as the Blue Devils displayed their defensive resilience.
Lubin was outstanding for North Carolina, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Tar Heels, struggling with Duke’s size early, shot 15 of 24 from the field in the second half to claw their way back. However, their late-game mistakes proved costly.
The Tar Heels lacked the size to match up with Duke but showed tremendous fight in their comeback effort. Even without Flagg and top reserve Maliq Brown, the Blue Devils proved they have enough firepower and defensive toughness to win close games.
Withers’ lane violation negating Lubin’s second free throw was a devastating mistake for North Carolina, taking away a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds. UNC shot 15 of 24 (62.5%) from the field in the second half, fueling their comeback.
Duke moves on to the ACC Championship Game against the winner of Clemson vs. Louisville. North Carolina now awaits Selection Sunday, hoping its 22-13 record is enough for an NCAA Tournament berth.
