Duke staffers 'got punched in the face' as UNC fans stormed court after upset win, coach says

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Duke Blue Devils staff members "got punched in the face" as North Carolina Tar Heels fans stormed the court in celebration of their rivalry win, head coach Jon Scheyer said Saturday.

No. 14 North Carolina topped No. 4 Duke, 71-68, after Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left. Tar Heels fans hit the court thinking the game was over but had to be corralled back to their seats once officials added less than a second back to the clock.

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Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center on Feb. 7, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

Scheyer said some of the team’s staff members took hits during the fracas.

"For me it's hard to talk about the game when I was most concerned just for the safety of our players after the game," Scheyer said. "I don't want to make it about that, because Carolina, they played a great game to win. And that's a heartbreaking loss for our team.

"I got staff members that got punched in the face. My family, pushing people away, trying to not get trampled. That's not what this game is about."

North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said he apologized for the incident, but didn’t have details on any injuries.

"When they rushed the court, a number of people got knocked over," Cunningham said. "But then we had to clear the court again. So when we normally have something like just rushing the court and the game is over, we do have a line by the benches to get people off safely.

North Carolina fans take the floor and celebrate after the team defeated Duke in the final seconds on Saturday,