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How UNC staged its largest comeback vs. Duke in 25 years

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No. 14 North Carolina stunned No. 4 Duke 71-68 with a last-second go-ahead 3-pointer in Chapel Hill on Saturday to complete its largest comeback vs. the rival Blue Devils in 25 years. UNC trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half and at various points throughout the second half — even with as little as six minutes left — it seemed Duke had a firm hold on the game.

Until it didn’t.

UNC stayed persistent and chipped away little by little before chasing Duke down for good courtesy of a corner 3-pointer from Seth Trimble with 0.4 seconds remaining. Duke’s last-ditch effort to force overtime ended with a bobbled inbounds that didn’t result in a shot attempt.

Here’s how the Tar Heels, who lost all three matchups vs. Duke last season and entered the game 4-6 under fifth-year coach Hubert Davis, got a desperately needed win to punch back in one of the sport’s best rivalries.

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All Duke early

Just over six minutes into the game, the Blue Devils opened up an 18-5 lead to silence the noisy crowd inside the Dean Smith Center. In that span, five different Duke players scored points — and that didn’t include leading scorer Cameron Boozer

UNC closed the gap to 22-20 on the strength of a 15-2 run that got the crowd back into it. But Duke captured the momentum again going into the half with an impressive 19-9 run of its own in the final eight minutes of the first half. It led 41-29 going into the second half. That was one point shy of its largest lead of the game. 

Caleb Wilson keeps UNC afloat

UNC’s supporting cast around star forward Caleb Wilson has been stellar all season. But it was nonexistent in the first half. Wilson accounted for 17 of the team’s 29 first-half points. The rest of the Tar Heels shot a woeful 4 of 20 from the field. 

Wilson was spectacular, though. So spectacular that UNC’s 12-point deficit felt somehow miraculous not to be 20+ points. He hit tough mid-range fadeaway after tough mid-range fadeaway, reliably getting to his spot of comfort on the court. 

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Wilson led all scorers at the half. Only one other UNC player in the opening 20 minutes made more than two field goals.

“Caleb kept us around in the first half,” Davis said after the game. 

“We continued to fight. We were down. We didn’t join the fight …. We continued to stick to it … as we continue to cut into the lead, our confidence got better, our stops got better, our execution got better. And Henri stepped up, his ability to dominate points in the paint was huge. Caleb kept us in it.”

Veesaar comes alive

UNC’s second-leading scorer, Henri Veesaar, had zero points on 0-of-2 shooting in the first half. A virtual no-show.

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Veesaar in the second half: team-high 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, nine rebounds, one assist, one block. 

UNC went as Veesaar went in both halves — and Veesaar went from a stone-cold zero to full-blown flamethrower down the stretch. None of his buckets were more critical than the 3 he hit just at the 1:40 mark of the second half to tie things up. It lifted the crowd up and seemed to breathe new life into a once-dead UNC team.

“Henri stepped up,” Davis said postgame. “I mean, he had zero rebounds in the first half, then a double-double in the second half. His ability to dominate points in the paint for us was huge.”

UNC gets key stop at critical time

Duke did not score a single point over the final 2:25, during which it went 0-for-3 with two missed layups and also failed to get a shot off as time expired at the end.

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That is in part attributable to Duke’s inability to convert, but UNC deserves credit for its timely stops. Its last stand was arguably its biggest, as the Tar Heels defense stood tall and forced a tough contest on Boozer in an isolation situation. Boozer missed the bucket to help set UNC up with possession for the final go-ahead basket.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after the game that Boozer in isolation was the play they wanted with the result they didn’t. Boozer had 15 of his 24 points in the second half and finished with 11 rebounds, but was credited with two missed layups in the final 2:25.

Dixon dimes save the day

Freshman Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon was the unsung hero of the comeback. He had eight points and four assists — all in the second half — which included the penetration and pass that led to the game-winner. Check here how he attacks to the paint while four Duke defenders collapse, leaving Seth Trimble wide open in the corner for an easy bucket.

Davis said postgame they run that exact play in practice all the time, and one of the options off it is a skip pass to the corner just as Dixon did. Trimble did his job by stepping into it and delivering the Duke dagger.

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“That shot was made by the perfect person at the right time,” Davis said. “He’s deserving of being remembered forever of the commitment and devotion he’s made to his teammates, to his program, to the university, to the community.” 

UNC closes like killers

Even when things looked bleak for North Carolina early, at the half and late in the second half, it managed to persist. Davis said postgame that early in the game UNC was not totally engaged and getting the short straw of hustle plays. That flipped in the second half as it powered to the finish.

“We continued to fight,” he said. “One of the things we were missing [early] was, we didn’t join the fight. Every 50/50 loose ball [Duke] was getting, ball was going on the ground and [Duke] was the first to get it. We just continued to stick to it. Every time we got knocked down we got up and we took a step forward.

“As we continued to cut into the lead, our confidence got better on both ends of the floor, our execution got better, our stops got better, our communicational defense got better, our rebounding got better … and then Henri stepped up.”

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UNC went on a 9-0 run in the final 2:25 to seal the win, during which it went 3-for-3 — all on 3-pointers. Dixon made the first of those three and assisted on the other two.

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Adam Gemili: Former European champion sprinter retires

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Former European champion Adam Gemili has retired from athletics at the age of 32.

Gemili was a youth footballer at Chelsea and on the books at then League Two Dagenham & Redbridge before committing to sprinting, and made the Team GB squad for the Olympics in his home city at London 2012.

He reached the semi-finals of the 100m in London and went on to win relay medals at three World Championships.

He was the 2014 European Champion over 200m and took silver in the 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow that summer.

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Posting on his Instagram page, he said:, external “It’s hard to put into words what an incredible journey it’s been.

“Thank you for all the support, love, and belief you’ve shown me throughout my career.

“From a baby-faced Adam at London 2012 to a slightly more grey-haired version in 2025. I hope I’ve made you proud.”

Gemili narrowly missed out on more medals, finishing fourth in the 200m at the Rio 2016 Olympics, just 0.003 seconds shy of bronze, before another fourth place at the Doha 2019 World Athletics Championships.

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Alongside Zharnel Hughes and Linford Christie, he is one of just three British male sprinters to have run under 10 seconds in the 100m and 20 seconds in the 200m, with personal bests of 9.97 seconds and 19.97 seconds respectively.

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49ers GM sacks electrical substation theory

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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch did his best to shut down the buzz around the theory that an electrical substation near Levi’s Stadium could be the catalyst for the spate of injuries the team has suffered over the last few years.

The theory popped up on social media during the 2025 season, though the 49ers have played at Levi’s Stadium since 2014 and used the practice facility that is also near the substation since 1989.

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John Lynch at the NFL Scouting Combine

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Niners star George Kittle said in February he didn’t believe the rumors were true, but also wanted a definitive answer.

Lynch provided one Sunday as NFL owners began to meet in Phoenix, Arizona. He said the organization had a scientist come to the facility to see if there was anything awry.

“It basically was a big nothing burger,” Lynch told reporters, via ESPN. “We’re in a safe place of work…. It’s a normal place of work. It’s a normal gym. We are safe, we’re healthy, and we feel really good about that.

George Kittle carted off the field

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is carted off the field after an injury during the NFC wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 11, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)

CAM NEWTON VIEWS ADDING 18TH REGULAR-SEASON GAME AS ‘GOOD BUSINESS,’ QUESTIONS HOW PRESEASON GAMES WILL WORK

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“That was important to us, not just to turn a blind eye, but to look into it because it’s our players’ wellness. It’s not only our players’ wellness, it’s coaches, it’s staff, all that. And it’s encouraging.”

According to the 49ers, the scientist learned that players and staff were being exposed to an electromagnetic environment similar to that of a gym or average workplace.

Still, the injury bug is something the 49ers have to figure out as the seasons go on.

John Lynch at Georgia's pro day

John Lynch watches players work out during NFL Pro Day, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

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San Francisco was 12-5 in 2025, but players like Kittle, Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall and Mykel Williams each missed several games with injuries.

For now, it appears the substation theory has been shut down.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Women’s singles predictions ft. Donna Vekic vs Ajla Tomljanovic, Alycia Parks vs Mary Stoiana

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The 2026 Charleston Open is set to get underway today as the main draw action begins at the LTP-Daniel Island Tennis Center. While notable names like Emma Navarro, Amanda Anisimova, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Maya Joint have withdrawn, the tournament still features a strong lineup.

Day 1 will be headlined by players such as Donna Vekic, Eva Lys, Sloane Stephens, McCartney Kessler and Jennifer Brady. They will be joined by the likes of Alycia Parks, Ajla Tomljanovic, Katie Volynets, Yulia Putintseva and Dayana Yastremska, among others.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the predictions for some of the key matches scheduled on Day 1 of the 2026 Charleston Open.


Charleston Open 2026 Day 1 singles predictions

Donna Vekic vs Ajla Tomljanovic

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Vekic pictured at the 2026 Miami Open | Image Source: GettyVekic pictured at the 2026 Miami Open | Image Source: Getty
Vekic pictured at the 2026 Miami Open | Image Source: Getty

Donna Vekic booked her spot in the main draw of the Charleston Open with commanding wins over Sachia Vickery (6-2, 6-2) and Ekaterine Gorgodze (6-2, 6-3) in the qualifying rounds. Meanwhile, Ajla Tomljanovic received direct entry into the main draw and arrived following a second-round exit at the Miami Open.

Vekic and Tomljanovic have faced each other twice before, with the Croatian winning both encounters in Wuhan (2014) and Istanbul (2018), giving her a 2-0 head-to-head advantage.

Predicted winner: Vekic in three sets.


Alycia Parks vs Mary Stoiana

Parks pictured at the 2026 Miami Open | Image Source: GettyParks pictured at the 2026 Miami Open | Image Source: Getty
Parks pictured at the 2026 Miami Open | Image Source: Getty

Alycia Parks enters the matchup on the back of a third-round loss to Coco Gauff in Miami. Her opponent, Mary Stoiana, had to come through qualifying, beating Kristina Mladenovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 and Darja Vidmanova 6-2, 7-6(2) to set up a first-ever clash with Parks.

Parks brings power and a big serve, looking to take control quickly, while Stoiana relies more on consistency and rally tolerance. If Parks finds her range, she can dominate, but Stoiana could benefit if the match becomes more extended.

Predicted winner: Alycia Parks in straight sets.

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McCartney Kessler vs Elvina Kalieve

Their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.

Predicted winner: McCartney Kessler in straight sets.


Eva Lys vs Katie Volynets

Lys and Volynets have met once before, in the qualifying rounds of Lausanne in 2022, with the German coming out on top.

Predicted winner: Volynets in straight sets.

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Yulia Putintseva vs Lulu Sun

They have never met before.

Predicted winner: Yulia Putintseva in straight sets.


Dayana Yastremska vs Anastasia Zakharova

Yastremska holds a 1-0 head-to-head lead over Zakharova going into their first-round encounter at the Charleston Open.

Predicted winner: Dayana Yastremska in straight sets.

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Sloane Stephens vs Renata Zarazua

Zarazua has defeated Stephens in both of their previous meetings, in Acapulco in 2020 and Auckland earlier this year.

Predicted winner: Renata Zarazua in straight sets.


Jennifer Brady vs Viktoriya Tomova

Tomova holds a 1-0 head-to-head lead over Brady going into their first-round encounter at the Charleston Open.

Predicted winner: Jennifer Brady in three sets.

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Akasha Urhobo vs Solana Sierra

Their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.

Predicted winner: Akasha Urhobo in straight sets.


Anna Bondar vs Darja Vidmanova

Their head-to-head record stands at 0-0 in Bondar’s favor.

Predicted winner: Anna Bondar in straight sets.

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