No question Carolina handed Wednesday night’s game to gritty Duke, the second straight season that has happened and the third time in the last five years. If the Tar Heels don’t give Austin Rivers a chance to win it in 2012 and blow the big lead in Durham a year ago, there are no four straight losses, six of the last seven of 11 of the last 14.

Carolina

Duke players celebrate their upset victory over Carolina. (Photo by Todd Melet)

In fact, finish those three games, as they should have, and forget the abysmal 2010 season after winning the national championship in ’09, and UNC would have won 6 of the last 11 meetings with the Blue Devils. But it is what it is, and because of that Roy Williams is under the heaviest heat of his 13 years back in Chapel Hill.

This was ol’ Roy’s year, with the elusive “experienced talent” that most college basketball teams lack these days. Two seniors, a junior and two sophomores in the lineup, all potential ACC stars. Plus a deep and complementary bench.

But, after an 8-0 start in conference play, the Heels are no longer the story. Duke is, which is grating because this was supposed to be the Blue Devils’ rebuilding year after losing four starters off their 2015 NCAA championship. Who knows what will happen over the next six weeks, but right now Carolina fans are hurting and Duke’s are laughing. Just like we were laughing when Tyler Hansbrough was renaming the Indoor Stadium from 2006-09.

Duke stole another one when it had no business being in the game, playing with four guards and a center in foul trouble and trailing by eight points with less than seven minutes to play. Carolina went away from Brice Johnson over the last 12 minutes, missed six contested shots down the stretch, turned the ball over twice and made a couple of strategic blunders that have to be laid at the feet of Williams’ aching knees.

Marcus Paige

Marcus Paige continues to struggle. (Photo by Todd Melet)

Marcus Paige had another puzzling game, missing 8 of 10 shots and all six three-pointers, plus a critical free throw that would have left the game tied as the Tar Heels rushed up the court for the final shot, instead of down by the final 74-73 margin. Why the pre-season ACC Player of the Year has gone from a 90 percent foul shooter to 70 percent and seems to have lost his fluidity is the biggest question across the state. He’s still scrapping like crazy, making two key blocks in the final minutes that gave his team a chance to hang onto the lead.

Theorists believe he would be better off where he began his career – at point guard with the ball more than without it. But then what does Roy do with Joel Berry, who until recently has been Carolina most reliable backcourt player. Can Berry play without the ball as much as Paige has been asked to do? Does he come off the bench, with the 6-6 Theo Pinson moving to big guard? What’s clear is Carolina won’t go far in the post-season without Paige back on his game.

Williams disdained a timeout with the last possession, which is his philosophy learned from Dean Smith to attack before the defense gets set. But his team looked more confused than aggressive on the final rush, which ended with Berry’s floater in the lane being blocked by Duke’s freshman Derryck Thornton. Earlier, Kennedy Meeks’ pathetically soft shot on the baseline was flicked away by Luke Kennard, who gives away five inches and 50 pound to Meeks.

But the biggest coaching blunder had to be staying in the 1-3-1 zone while still ahead by two points with 2:40 to play. That defense invites a corner three-ball, and Kennard delivered to give Duke the lead and an incredible psychological boost after trailing since midway through the first half. The shot turned home court advantage into sudden game pressure on the Heels.

Meeks gave Carolina its last lead with a put back, UNC’s last of 18 offensive rebounds, but relentless Grayson Allen earned it back with a pair of free throws. Had Paige not missed one earlier, the game would have been tied, and even if the Tar Heels missed their last shot you had to love their chances in overtime when surely someone would have TRIED to foul Marshall Plumlee out.

Carolina never could stretch out its lead and the six-minute collapse makes the Miami game Saturday a must win, or the Tar Heels could fall completely out of the ACC race after visits to N.C. State and Virginia next week. What’s done is done, and this team has to prove its manhood for the gazilionth time over the last four years.

Jay Bilas kept saying on TV that the game reminded him of the 2012 shocker, won by Rivers after Carolina blew another comfortable lead in the second half. A month later, the Tar Heels righted that wrong and proved they were better by winning decisively at Cameron.

They have that chance again this season. But between now and then, they have to prove that all has not been lost.