The North Carolina Tar Heels were inches away from completing a stunning 24-point comeback against Duke in the ACC semifinal. But just when the dream was within reach, a late whistle snatched victory away and sent social media into a frenzy.

Ven-Allen Lubin had a golden opportunity to tie the game with a free throw in the final 4.1 seconds, and he delivered—only to have it voided by a lane violation. Talk about heartbreak.

Referees called the violation on Jae'Lyn Withers, and Duke seized the moment. The Blue Devils, playing without Cooper Flagg, nailed two free throws, while Lubin's desperate three-pointer fell short, sealing UNC's fate in a 74-71 loss.

The decision sparked an immediate backlash online. "You do not call these in those situations man," vented one fan on X (formerly Twitter). Another user accused the referee of being overly eager to influence the game's outcome, calling it "a total disgrace." And then there was the classic jab: "As usual, the refs doing their thing." Clearly, no love lost for the officials.

However, in a rare twist of online opinion, some fans defended the call. "Man, if it’s a violation in the first, why isn’t it now? And that was clear as day," argued one post. Fair point, but the timing couldn’t have been worse for UNC.

After the game, Withers expressed regret, admitting, "I guess you could just say I kind of mistimed the shot. I was trying to crash hard for a rebound just in case he missed." Meanwhile, Lubin took the high road, refusing to pin UNC's loss solely on the whistle. "There was a lot more to blame than a lane violation," he said. "We made a ton of mistakes throughout the game."

RJ Davis echoed those sentiments, rallying behind his teammate. "I am behind J-Wit. He has our full support... We all make mistakes in this game. It’s not just on him." Even head coach Hubert Davis chimed in, emphasizing Withers' importance to the team: "Guys, we're not here without J-Wit." Talk about a united front.

With the loss, UNC's postseason hopes are hanging by a thread. An ACC title would have guaranteed them an automatic bid, but now, a sub-par regular season might leave them on the outside looking in.

UNC fans might still be reeling, but hey, if nothing else, this game gave us a crash course in the art of timing—on and off the court.

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Social Media Erupts Over UNC's Game-Tying Free Throw Negated by Late Whistle