By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Seth Trimble always tried to keep his focus looking forward in what hasn’t always been the smoothest of four-year stays at North Carolina, from limited minutes and uncertain playing roles to injury.
Maybe that all made him perfect for this moment Saturday night — perched in the corner in the final seconds of a tie game in the Tar Heels’ latest tilt in the famed rivalry with Duke, a pass sending the ball heading his way for a clean look.
And he responded by hitting an all-timer of a shot, one now holding its own permanent place in rivalry lore.
Trimble hit a 3-pointer from right in front of the UNC bench, one that swished cleanly through the net with 0.4 seconds left, to lift the 14th-ranked Tar Heels past the fourth-ranked Blue Devils 71-68. It set off not one but two court-stormings from jubilant fans in a chaotic scene playing out in amid ear-ringing roar, capping a night in which the Tar Heels never led until that final shot.
The 6-foot-3 Trimble — an oddity in the current transfer-portal era of players constantly changing schools as readily as socks — was immediately swarmed by teammates. And he quickly he put both hands to his right cheek, a nod to NBA star Stephen Curry’s “night-night” celebration for hitting big shots to put away an opponent.
“It’s special,” Trimble said. “I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life.”
Rivalry moments
Trimble has long been best known for his athleticism and defense in a career that included him briefly announcing plans to enter the transfer portal in 2024. He also missed time this season after suffering a broken arm in a workout mishap, a damper on the afterglow of his play in a rousing November win against Kansas.
His shot marked the first time UNC had beaten Duke with a field goal in the final 10 seconds since Dante Calabria’s tip-in in 1996. It also marked the closest winning margin for UNC in the series since 2005, when Marvin Williams hit a stickback for an and-1 with 17 seconds left in a 75-73 win.
It also marked UNC’s latest winner in any game since Luke Maye’s jumper with 0.3 seconds left to beat Kentucky in the NCAA Elite Eight on the way to the 2017 NCAA championship.
In recent years in Chapel Hill, the last-shot heroics had gone Duke’s way. As recently as 2020, Tre Jones hit a buzzer-beater to force overtime, followed by Wendell Moore Jr.’s putback to win it at the OT horn. Most notably, there was Austin Rivers’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer in 2012, capping Duke’s rally from 13 down after halftime to snatch away a win after largely being outplayed all night.
This one was a mirror image. UNC trailed Saturday by as many as 13 on a night when Duke seemed to have control.
Until it didn’t.
Now Trimble has made his own entry to the Smith Center’s 40-year history, coming amid a churning emotional debate about the future of the arena named for late Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith.
Chaotic scene
This one had fans at a peak roar to rush the court as it originally appeared Trimble’s shot went in at the buzzer. It turned out to be a premature celebration; officials reviewed the play and determined time should be added to give Duke just enough time for a final desperation play.
That led to a lengthy stoppage to clear the court, with the arena’s public-address announcer repeatedly telling fans to get off the court and that “the game is not over.”
Ultimately, that final play amounted only in giving more time for the ink to dry on Trimble’s shot, followed by a second court-storming that stuck. And afterward, Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he had team staffers “punched in the face” amid the chaos to prompt a public apology from UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham.
“It’s just tough knowing that we were leading the whole game,” Duke freshman star Cameron Boozer said, adding: “That’s definitely a tough way to lose.”
The final play
The Tar Heels had climbed back in the game with freshman Derek Dixon hitting a 3-pointer with 2:25 left, followed by big man Henri Veesaar following with one at the 1:40 mark to tie it 68.
Then, after Veesaar forced Boozer into a driving miss, Trimble snagged the rebound and UNC called a timeout to draw a play with 10.6 seconds left.
The play called for Dixon to attack the basket with multiple options. One was having Trimble in the far corner if the defense collapsed.
“We work on that every day,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said.
Three Blue Devils converged. Dixon sent the ball out to a waiting Trimble, who launched the shot as Duke’s Dame Sarr frantically tried to close out.
“I was just down there trying to see if I need an offensive rebound,” Wilson said. “But I usually know when it’s going in by looking. I was like, ‘Damn, that (shot) cash.’”
Trimble held his release until the ball went through the net. he said he knew it was good the minute he let it go.
“I’m still a little numb right now,” Davis said afterward, adding: “He’ll be remembered for the rest of his life in Carolina history. And I couldn’t think of a better person to have that with him.”