Duke basketball center Kyle Filipowski is defending himself after an incident during a game with North Carolina. Filipowski said he didn't intentionally trip a North Carolina player that fell to the floor, per ESPN.
In the first half of a Duke-North Carolina game Saturday, Filipowski was on the floor during a play. He appeared to lift his leg to make contact with North Carolina's Harrison Ingram. Ingram subsequently fell to the court. The play made the rounds on social media, but no whistle or stoppage occurred during the game in real time.
“I'm not really too sure how that whole situation happened, to be honest,” Filipowski said, per ESPN. “I was really just getting up. My foot slipped. I don't know how I caught him. That's really all I've got.”
North Carolina went on to defeat Duke basketball, 84-79. It was yet another chapter in one of the most heated rivalries in all of college basketball. Ingram said after the game he thought Filipowski did intentionally trip him.
“I thought he did,” Ingram added. “I'm not sure if it was a basketball play or not.”
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis yelled for a call at the time, but nothing happened. The good news for the Tar Heels, is that the victory sealed an ACC regular season title for North Carolina. It was the program's first regular season championship since 2017, when Roy Williams still led the program.
Duke basketball and North Carolina may meet again in the ACC conference tournament. The tournament starts on March 12.
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