Friday night featured a heartbreaking defeat for Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
They faced the Duke Blue Devils in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Their opponents were without Cooper Flagg due to injury, but they still had enough firepower to escape with the 74-71 win over the Tar Heels.
Davis and Jae’Lyn Withers reflected on the loss after the game, standing arm-in-arm. The latter recalled a shot he missed as he tried his best to crash the glass, while Davis was simply proud of his player’s effort throughout the conference tournament.
“I mistimed the shot. I was just trying to make sure I crashed hard,” Withers said.
“Guys, we’re not even sitting here in the semifinals without Jae’Lyn. I love him to death,” Davis replied.
Hubert Davis stood arm-in-arm with Jae’Lyn Withers for his postgame media availability:
“I mistimed the shot. I was just trying to make sure I crashed hard”
“Guys, we’re not even sitting here in the semifinals without Jae’Lyn. I love him to death.” pic.twitter.com/SrigSpTFlM
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 15, 2025
How Hubert Davis, North Carolina performed against Duke
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels put up a strong fight against the Cooper Flagg-less Blue Devils.
The Tar Heels initially trailed 45-24 at the halftime break. However, they sparked a huge run to cut the deficit down to one point in the final minute. Unfortunately, Duke’s Kon Knueppel made two crucial free throws with three seconds left on the game clock as North Carolina’s final shot was no good.
Four players scored in double-digits for North Carolina. Ven-Allen Lubin led the way with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and a block. He shot 8-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. Elliot Cadeau came next with 15 points and five assists, Seth Trimble put up 14 points and four rebounds, while Drake Powell provided 10 points and five rebounds.
The Tar Heels can still make the NCAA Tournament. Having made a case for an At-Large bid throughout the year, their season can stay alive if the tournament committee picks them on Selection Sunday on March 16.
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