North Carolina just blew its shot at the ACC Tournament championship game in perhaps the worst way possible. With just 4.1 seconds left in the semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Duke on Friday, UNC was called for a lane violation on a potential game-tying free throw.

Despite the Tar Heels' resilience, the Blue Devils held on to secure their third victory over UNC this season.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils NCAAM game to be played on March 14, 2025 on ESPN.

North Carolina almost came back against Duke in Friday's ACC Tournament semifinals...until a late free-throw was waved off for a lane violation.

After coming back from 24 points down against their archrivals, North Carolina had two free throws to take the lead and advance to the ACC Tournament final. A miss and a lane violation ended their comeback — and maybe their season.

Without Cooper Flagg, Duke got everything it could handle from North Carolina — and an unexpected gift that proved decisive in a 74-71 win.