North Carolina's furious comeback against Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals came up short after Jae'lyn Withers committed a lane violation on teammate Ven-Allen Lubin's successful second free throw attempt — which had it counted,

Friday had all the makings of a classic win for UNC in a season that can best be described as a disappointment. Then Jae'Lyn Withers stepped over the line — literally. The Tar Heels lost a game-tying free throw against rival Duke,

North Carolina men's basketball on Friday night cost itself a chance at an ACC championship—and potentially a ticket to the NCAA tournament. Once trailing rival Duke by 24 points, the Tar Heels stormed back in the second half and had a chance to take the lead with 4.

"I was not in the room for any of that." Chairman of the NCAA Men's Basketball Selection Committee and UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham explained the process behind the Tar Heels getting into the tournament. pic.twitter.com/vAD7qu4s3F

Matt Norlander and Tim Doyle join Hakem Dermish break down North Carolina being the final team in the NCAA Tournament

For nearly 48 hours, the North Carolina men’s basketball team had to await its NCAA Tournament fate. After losing to Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinal round Friday night, UNC (22-13) still sat firmly on the proverbial bubble,

Duke, the winners of the ACC Tournament, received a No. 1 seed in the East Region. Why it matters: North Carolina's appearance in the tournament was not a given, with many experts pointing to their weak showing against elite teams this season.

To the surprise of many, North Carolina men's basketball is dancing this March. After underachieving throughout much of the season, the Tar Heels got hot late, winning 9 of their final 12 games. UNC bowed out in the ACC semifinals against Duke on Friday night,