The trilogy of the 2024-25 North Carolina-Duke basketball series was the best of the bunch. Even without Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown, the Blue Devils dominated the early going against their Tobacco Road rivals, jumping out to a 24-point lead.

North Carolina, fighting for its NCAA Tournament life, wasn't about to go down without a fight. The Tar Heels scrapped and clawed back in the second half, eventually cutting the lead to just one on a pair of Seth Trimble free throws. After Tyrese Proctor missed the front end of a one-and-one, UNC had a chance to take down its arch rival for the first time this season.

With less than five seconds to go, North Carolina big man Ven-Allen Lubin was fouled going to the basket for a potential game-winner. After missing the first free throw, Lubin drained the second to tie the game, but Jae'Lyn Withers was called for a lane violation that wiped out the make.

Duke made a pair of free throws, Lubin's desperation 3-pointer to tie it missed and the Blue Devils completed the sweep of Hubert Davis and company.

After the game ended, college basketball fans around the country were in shock at the controversial ending and they immediately took to social media to vent about it.

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Now, North Carolina has a long wait until Selection Sunday as it awaits its NCAA Tournament fate. The Tar Heels entered the week squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. UNC didn't get a Quad 1 win for beating Notre Dame or Wake Forest, but it did earn an opportunity to play for its biggest win of the year against the No. 1 team in the country.

North Carolina had to rally, but it started to play the kind of basketball that made you think it could win an NCAA Tournament game. In the end, Withers' late blunder may have cost the Tar Heels even a chance to prove that in the Big Dance.

North Carolina is now 1-12 in Quad 1 games, which would make including it in the NCAA Tournament essentially an anomaly. In less than 48 hours time, we will find out if UNC will get a second chance. Regardless, losing a heartbreaker like this against your hated rival will sting for a long, long time.

As for Duke, the Blue Devils will move onto the ACC Championship Game on Saturday night where they will take on either Clemson or Louisville. Even if Flagg doesn't play again, Jon Scheyer and company will likely be the favorite to take home the trophy.