Jon Scheier takes heat after ‘terrible finish’ to North Carolina scrimmage

Head Coach of the Duke Blue Devils Jon Scheier expressed frustration and concern after the chaotic end to the rivalry game on Saturday night, where No. 14 North Carolina stunned the no. 4 Duke 71–68 at the Dean Smith Center.

The Blue Devils were in control at halftime, leading 41–29, but the Tar Heels outscored them 42–27 in the second half. With 2:51 remaining, North Carolina trailed 68–62, but a furious 9–0 run turned the game in their favor. Senior guard Seth Trimble’s third corner layup with 0.4 seconds left, which initially looked like time was running out, put the Tar Heels ahead for the first time and sent ecstatic fans storming the court in chaotic celebration.

Scheier described the consequences as a “terrible end” and raised security concerns for his players, staff and family members.

“It’s hard for me to talk about a game when I was most concerned about the safety of our players after the game,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about it because Carolina played a great game to win. It’s a heartbreaking loss for our team.

“You know, I’ve had staff members get punched in the face. My family had people pushing back, trying not to get run over. That’s not what this game is about. You give them all the credit in the world. It’s not about the game, but obviously it was a scary ending that this rivalry isn’t about.”

It’s the second time in three seasons that a court storm has caused problems for Duke, bringing back memories of February 2024 at Wake Forest when Kyle Filipowski was injured after being hit by a fan.

When asked if he wanted the attack on the courts to be banned, Scheier clarified that in principle he supports the attack on the courts, but believes that players must be able to leave safely before fans rush onto the pitch.

“We’re putting our players in a position where they’re face-to-face with people who can do anything at any time,” Scheier said. “It only takes one reaction. I thought, even today, I had to push people away to protect our players. I’m all for storming the field, believe me. They won. They should celebrate. If they want to celebrate, storm the court. But let us get our guys safely away. That’s it. I’m right there with that.”

North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham apologized to Scheier and the Duke program, acknowledging that at least one injury occurred during the chaos.

“When they rushed to the court, a number of people fell over,” Cunningham said. “But then we had to clear the field again. So when we usually have something like just chasing the field and the game is over, we have a line by the benches to get people out safely.”

“Obviously, if somebody gets hurt, it’s really, really disappointing. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen, but again, I apologize to Duke for that.”

Video review confirmed there was 0.4 seconds left on the clock after Trimble’s shot, requiring the field to be cleared before the final play. When the game officially ended, the fans stormed the floor again as Duke tried to exit.

Blue Devil freshman Cameron Boozer led the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Tar Heels freshman Caleb Wilson scored 23 points. Trimble finished with 16 points, three steals, two rebounds and one block.

Boozer’s double-double couldn’t save a Duke team marred by poor field goal efficiency, shooting just 45 percent from the field, eight turnovers and fifteen fouls.

The Blue Devils’ record fell to 21–2 overall as they suffered their first ACC loss of the season and their first home loss at the Dean Smith Center since Feb. 3, 2024. They will look to regroup when they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers on Tuesday.