Chansky's Notebook: Foul Play

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By review, only 25 fouls called in the Duke-Carolina game was ludicrous.

Hubert Davis questioning how his team shot only three free throws, all in the first half, in the 63-57 loss to the Blue Devils is legit. Neither team got into the bonus in the first 20 minutes and only Duke did in the second half.

The officials took “letting them play” to a new level in a rivalry that is traditionally among the roughest games of the season. How the home team with two seven-footers and playing aggressive perimeter defense only committed 11 fouls is absurd, especially after watching a replay of the game.

The Tar Heels’ only free throws all night came on a two-shot foul when Armando Bacot made both and Caleb Love could not convert a three-point play in the first half. Meanwhile, Duke made 6 of 8 from the free throw line.

While Bacot had two early shots cleanly blocked by Dereck Lively II, he was knocked down in the paint by Ryan Young and clearly fouled by Lively on another no-call early in the second half, right after Davis told ESPN’s Holly Rowe, “We’ve been to the free throw line more than any team in the ACC, my hope is that will change.” It didn’t when UNC never got there again.

Just before the half, Davis went ballistic when the refs missed an obvious foul on Kyle Filipowski while he blocked Pete Nance’s shot on the left wing. The coach and his assistants were still barking at the zebras as the half ended and they left the bench.

With 17 minutes left in the second half, R.J. Davis went down on another of Lively’s eight blocks that sent him flying backward. That could have been called a foul. At the 9:20 mark, R.J. was knocked down again by Lively blocking his shot out of bounds. Even though Davis’ 3-pointer then gave Carolina its last lead, 50-49, the no calls kept the Tar Heels from getting into the bonus as the action got more physical down the stretch.

With 4:10 left, Love’s driving shot was contested by Duke’s two big men, as all three players hit the floor. At the 2:23 mark, Davis was fouled by Tyrese Proctor while the game was still tied at 57-57. That was only No. 4 on Duke.

By Carolina’s final possession, the Blue Devils led by four points and still had two to fouls to give, which helped them ice the game.

Certainly, Carolina committed some fouls that likewise drew no whistles, but the overlaying fact was that Duke got into the bonus but the Tar Heels never did in a rough-and-tumble 40 minutes of a very close game.

It may be the first time that ever happened to either team in the rivalry.

Featured image via Associated Press/Jacob Kupferman

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4 Comments

Joe X on February 6, 2023 at 4:50 pm

As usual, the dookies get all the calls at home. Seems like nothings changed since the rat retired.
Don 2020 on February 7, 2023 at 6:11 am

Wes Miller!
BacotsDaddy on February 7, 2023 at 9:41 pm

Wahhhh. In the mind of Carolina fans, has every single UNC loss to Duke in history been because of the refs? Any issue with UNCs bigs constantly pushing Duke’s big men in the bag under the basket? Think Caleb Love being a black hole had anything to do with these losses? Hubert was classless after the loss, just like all the fans. Learn how to lose.
Brian on February 7, 2023 at 10:07 pm

Carolina has become so used to Swofford’s officials giving their team an undeserved free throw advantage that they think it is a constitutionally guaranteed right.

Chansky’s Notebook: Foul Play

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