Duke Blue Devils North Carolina Tar Heel staff “got punched in the face” when fans stormed the court to celebrate their game victory, head coach Jon Schell said Saturday.

No. 14 North Carolina defeated No. 4 Duke 71-68 when Tar Heel guard Seth Trimble hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the game. tar heels Fans rush to the stadium They thought the game was over, but when the referees rolled back the clock by less than a second, they had to return to their seats.

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

Scheyer said some of the team’s staff were injured in the altercation.

“For me, it’s hard to talk about the game when I’m most worried about the safety of the players after the game,” Scheer said. “I don’t want to talk about it because Carolina, they played a great game and got the win. It’s a heartbreaking loss for our team.

“My staff got punched in the face. My family members pushed people away trying not to get trampled. That’s not what this game is about.”

North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said he was sorry for the incident but did not provide details of any injuries.

“As they rush the field, a lot of people get knocked down,” Cunningham said. “But then we have to clear the field again. So when we typically rush the field and the game ends, we do have a line around the bench to make sure people get out safely.”

North Carolina fans celebrate on stage after their team defeated Duke in the final seconds during an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, February 7, 2026, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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“Obviously, if someone gets hurt, that’s really, really disappointing. We’re going to do our best to make sure that doesn’t happen, but again I apologize to Duke for that.”

A Duke official told multiple media outlets that one person associated with the project was injured, but gave no other details.

A similar incident occurred between Schell and Duke after Duke lost to Wake Forest in 2022. Then-Blue Devil player Kyle Filipowski was shocked when he collided with a Demon Deacons fan during the celebration.

Shaye wondered when court storming would be banned in 2022, and was asked if he still believed court storming should be banned.

“People just shouldn’t be getting punched in the face,” he said. “Our players shouldn’t be put face to face with people who can do anything at that moment. It just takes a reaction. Even today, I have to push people away just to protect our players.”

North Carolina guard Seth Trimble (7) celebrates with fans after an NCAA college basketball game against Duke on Saturday, February 7, 2026, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

“They win, they should celebrate. They want a court storm, a court storm. But get our guys out safely, that’s it. That’s what I’m thinking.”

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Duke’s losing record falls to 21-2 this season. North Carolina The record improved to 19 wins and 4 losses.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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