Just like that, the 2025-2026 regular season has officially come to a close.
The Tar Heels went into Durham and hung tough through the first 20 minutes of play, but a disastrous second-half allowed Duke to pull away for good.
Obviously playing without Caleb Wilson, the Tar Heels went into this game as a heavy underdog. While no one believed they could hang tough, they did just that in the first half, going on a 10-4 run to end the frame to trail by just five at the break.
After both teams essentially traded baskets to open up the second half, UNC went ice cold for a significant stretch, one that the Blue Devils took full advantage of.
Duke rode a 20-2 run to give them a 21-point lead at the under-8 media timeout, a run that served as the final dagger in this one.
Derek Dixon shines
Derek Dixon continues to show that the big moment isn't ever too big for him, as the freshman guard had another career outing. He drained five three pointers and led the Tar Heels with 17 points, an impressive showing from the Vienna, Virginia native in his first game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke fans can't cry about foul calls tonight!
After UNC stunned Duke a few weeks ago, Blue Devil fans (and Jon Scheyer) cried about how they were wrongfully officiated!
On Saturday night, Duke had nothing to cry about, as North Carolina attempted only four free throws the entire game.
Duke went to the line 15 times, as Cameron Boozer (who scored 26 points and grabbed 15 rebounds) had more attempts at the line then the entire Tar Heel team!
What's Next?
Postseason action is now the focus for UNC, as they open up the ACC Tournament on Thursday night. They await the winner of the second round matchup between the No. 5-seeded Clemson and the winner of Tuesday's first-round clash between Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.