CHAPEL HILL — With one shot, North Carolina senior Seth Trimble forever secured his place in the Duke-UNC rivalry.
Trimble’s game-winning 3-pointer in the final second will be part of every montage of memorable moments from here on out. Each time the Tar Heels and Blue Devils renew college basketball’s best rivalry, Trimble’s shot from the right corner will play again and again and again.
No. 14 North Carolina upset No. 4 Duke 71-68 on Saturday night. Trimble’s shot with 0.4 seconds remaining gave the Tar Heels their first – and only – lead of the night.
“It’s special,” Trimble said. “I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life, no matter how this year ends. As I grow older, this will be something that I remember – celebrating with my teammates, seeing the fans storm the court.”
UNC fans stormed the court after Trimble’s shot. UNC officials had to clear the court because officials put 0.4 seconds back on the clock. Fans again stormed the court after Duke’s final desperation play ended without a shot. Duke coach Jon Scheyer said that Blue Devils staff members were punched in the face and that his family feared for its safety during the court storms.
In an era of one-and-dones and frequent transfers, Trimble has played all four seasons at North Carolina. His scoring average has increased each year, from 1.8 as a freshman playing fewer than 10 minutes per game to 14.1 this season in more than 31 minutes per game.
“That shot was made by the perfect person at the right time,” said UNC coach Hubert Davis, who is in his fourth season. “He’s deserving of being remembered forever, of the commitment and the devotion that he’s made to his teammates, to this program, to this university and to this community. Couldn’t have gone to a better person.”
Trimble’s game winner. pic.twitter.com/c7GhNNDoKn
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) February 8, 2026
A senior stole the show in the end, but the matchup of top freshmen and likely NBA lottery picks Caleb Wilson (UNC) and Cameron Boozer (Duke) lived up to the billing.
Wilson scored 23 points, keeping the Tar Heels within shouting distance with an array of tough shots when little else was working for UNC. Boozer poured in a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. He commanded extra attention, which helped generate open shots for teammates, including Dame Sarr (13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field).
For most of the night, it seemed like it would be enough for the Blue Devils, who were seeking their 11th consecutive win overall and fourth straight against the Tar Heels. The Blue Devils, who didn’t trail until Wilson’s shot, led by as many as 13 in the first half, 12 at halftime and 68-62 with 2:25 remaining.
That’s when UNC freshman Derek Dixon hit a 3-pointer. Duke’s Isaiah Evans missed a driving layup, and North Carolina’s Henri Veesaar – who was scoreless in the first half – made a game-tying 3-pointer with 1:40 remaining. Veesaar finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Duke star freshman Cameron Boozer had two chances to put the Blue Devils back on top, but he missed shots on the final two possessions.
“Get Cam downhill, you just know he’s going to make the right play,” Scheyer said. “And sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m taking what we got every day of the week, twice on Sunday.”
PHOTOS: Seth Trimble’s late 3-pointer caps UNC’s comeback win vs. Duke
Boozer stripped a driving Trimble on UNC’s penultimate drive. But it was Trimble who secured the rebound after Boozer’s final miss to set up the Tar Heels’ final play after a timeout.
Dixon drove past Boozer as UNC star Caleb Wilson and Veesaar set screens at the top of the key. When Duke defenders rushed to help near the basket, Dixon found Trimble alone in the right corner, completing a very difficult pass.
Davis said that the Tar Heels practice and run that play often. Finley 25, Trimble called it. One big man rolls to the basket, the other pops for an outside shot. Davis said the play often ends with a pass to the wing.
“I knew it was good the second it left my hand,” Trimble said.
It was the latest game winner for the Tar Heels since Luke Maye’s jumper in the 2017 NCAA Tournament against Kentucky. Like the Maye shot, this one goes straight into the all-time highlight reel for UNC.
Trimble knew it. Everyone did. Teammates told him they loved him and chirped at him as they headed out of the locker room. Former UNC player Theo Pinson barged into the media scrum around Trimble to embrace him.
“You cemented now,” Pinson told him. “You cemented. You a legend.”
Trimble got emotional talking about his career arc and the adversity he’s faced, including missing several weeks earlier this season with a broken left arm – one that still has a nasty scar.
“This is what I came here for,” he said, his voice cracking. “It means a lot. It means a lot. I’m getting emotional, but it’s what I came here for – moments like this, games like this and just to be that kind of player for my team. It means everything.”
Embed code for Seth Trimble video Murphy, Brian