UNC's Trimble Hits Game-Winner to Stun Duke

Senior captain delivers clutch shot in final home matchup against rival

Feb. 8, 2026 at 2:55pm

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In his final home game against Duke, North Carolina senior Seth Trimble hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to lift the Tar Heels to a 71-68 victory over the 4th-ranked Blue Devils. Trimble finished with 16 points, two rebounds and three steals, delivering one of the all-time moments in the storied UNC-Duke rivalry.

Why it matters

Trimble's heroics marked the first go-ahead field goal for UNC in the final 10 seconds of a Duke game since 1996, cementing his legacy as a Tar Heel great. The win also kept North Carolina's NCAA Tournament hopes alive as they continue their push for a postseason berth.

The details

With the game tied at 68-68 and under 10 seconds to play, Trimble received the ball on the right wing and calmly knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer to stun the Blue Devils. The shot came after Trimble had a costly turnover earlier in the possession, but he made up for it with the clutch game-winner.

  • Trimble hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the game.
  • This was Trimble's fourth and final home game against Duke as a Tar Heel.

The players

Seth Trimble

A senior captain for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Trimble delivered one of the biggest shots in the history of the UNC-Duke rivalry.

Hubert Davis

The head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, who has mentored Trimble over the past four seasons and helped develop him into a key contributor.

Dante Calabria

A former North Carolina player who hit the previous go-ahead field goal for the Tar Heels in the final 10 seconds of a Duke game, with a game-winning tip-in on January 31, 1996.

Luke Maye

A former North Carolina player who hit a game-winning shot against Kentucky in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, a play that Trimble watched and was inspired by growing up as a Tar Heel fan.

Maliq Brown

A Duke player who applied defensive pressure that led to Trimble's earlier turnover, but was unable to stop Trimble's game-winning shot.

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What they’re saying

“It means a lot, me and HD have come such a long way. I see him like a father figure, all he's done for me, what he's put me through, at the end of the day, and how he's allowed me to grow.”

— Seth Trimble, North Carolina Senior

“It's special. I'm gonna remember this for the rest of my life. No matter how this year ends, as I grow older, this will be something that I remember celebrating with my teammates, seeing the fans on the court, my dad even found me on the court.”

— Seth Trimble, North Carolina Senior

“You dream of stuff like this. I grew up watching Marcus Paige making clutch play after clutch play. I grew up watching Coby White just get a bucket whenever it was needed.”

— Seth Trimble, North Carolina Senior

What’s next

Trimble and the Tar Heels will look to build on this momentum as they continue their push for an NCAA Tournament berth in the final weeks of the regular season.

The takeaway

Trimble's game-winning shot against Duke cemented his legacy as a Tar Heel great, delivering one of the most iconic moments in the storied history of the UNC-Duke rivalry. His clutch performance shows the impact a senior leader can have in the biggest moments.