North Carolina nearly completed a comeback from a 24-point deficit against top-ranked Duke in the ACC tournament, only to see it slip away on the most unusual of mistakes.
With the Tar Heels trailing by one with 4.1 seconds left, Jae’Lyn Withers committed a lane violation to negate Ven-Allen Lubin’s tying free throw.
The Blue Devils then closed out a 74-71 win in Friday night’s semifinals.
Withers, a graduate forward who had helped lead the Tar Heels’ final-month surge to revive their NCAA Tournament hopes, stepped into the paint with his right foot as he tried to be ready to get the jump on any potential rebound. The whistle blew for the violation as Lubin’s shot dropped through the net.
The Tar Heels missed a desperation 3-pointer on one final possession, and Withers immediately covered his face with his jersey at the bench in anguish. He later spoke to reporters with coach Hubert Davis standing at his side in a show of support.
Duke won depsite playing without freshman star Cooper Flagg and versatile defender Maliq Brown due to injuries.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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