Three keys for UNC to avoid a post-Duke letdown at Miami

Fresh off an emotional win over Duke, North Carolina now turns its focus to Miami.

The 11th-ranked Tar Heels stunned No. 4 Duke 71-68 in a thriller at the Dean E. Smith Center, a game that had just about everything. Senior guard Seth Trimble buried a corner 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining for the winner, capping a furious North Carolina rally and triggering a wild celebration.

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The Tar Heels trailed for 37:39 and did not take their first lead until Trimble’s shot. Moments later, fans poured onto the court and, in a familiar scene when UNC beats Duke, flooded Franklin Street.

The celebration was still going Sunday morning, but the turnaround will be quick.

North Carolina returns to the road for a Tuesday night matchup at Miami at 7 p.m., with sole possession of third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference at stake. The Tar Heels (19-4, 7-3 ACC) and Hurricanes (18-5, 7-3) are expected to play in front of a packed house at Watsco Center.

Miami, led by first-year coach Jai Lucas, is enjoying an immediate resurgence and could play spoiler for UNC, which is coming off a win over its archrival.

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North Carolina has won three straight in the series, including a 92-73 rout in Chapel Hill on March 1 last season. The Tar Heels also won their last trip to Coral Gables, edging the Hurricanes 75-72 exactly two years ago Tuesday.

Here are three keys for UNC to avoid the upset in South Beach.

Control the Paint

Dec 30, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) grabs a rebound in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Miami is good at controlling the paint whether its defending, rebounding or scoring. The Hurricanes score 56.3% of its points on two-pointers, which leads the ACC. Of its 929 two-point shot attempts, over 85% of them have come in the paint.

The Hurricanes are also fourth in offensive rebound percentage (32.8%) and sixth in total rebounds per game (32.7).

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/three-keys-unc-avoid-post-181531501.html

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Publish date : 2026-02-10 18:15:00

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