“One of our guys got punched in the face, trampled and looked like he was in a full-blown brawl after the game,” Scheyer said. “That should never happen, and that is exactly what happened.”
Citing the individual’s privacy, Duke declined to identify the injured person Saturday evening.
The ACC announced Sunday that North Carolina, in accordance with its storming policy, has been fined $50,000 for the first such violation this season.
“We accept the ACC’s fine because unauthorized people were present on the course before Duke and officials were able to fully clear Saturday,” North Carolina said in a statement. “The video we reviewed confirms that we followed our protocols to get Duke players, bench staff and game officials off the field safely. We will continue to review our protocols to provide the highest safety measures in the event that fans rush to the field. We consider this matter closed and look forward to the remainder of the season.”
UNC coach Hubert Davis added Monday that he has spoken with Scheyer since the incident but declined to provide further details.
“I feel comfortable with the comments that (athletic director) Bubba (Cunningham) made after the game,” Davis said. “I would like to stand by his comments.”
After UNC guard Seth Trimble hit the game-winning 3 on Saturday night, Tar Heels fans stormed the Dean Smith Center court to celebrate the apparent buzzer-beater. But an official review showed there was 0.4 seconds left on the clock, forcing fans to clear the floor as Duke played out its final possession. After the Blue Devils failed to get a shot off, fans poured out of their seats for a second time, forcing Scheyer and his team to leave the field through UNC’s tunnel instead of the one leading to its own locker room.
Scheyer said in the immediate aftermath of the match that several staff members had been hit in the face, but clarified on Monday that only the lone unidentified staff member had been injured.
Cunningham said Saturday that North Carolina would review footage of the incident and that he had apologized to Scheyer for what happened.
This is the second time in three seasons that someone from Duke has been injured in a court rush. In February 2024, after Wake Forest defeated the Blue Devils in Winston-Salem, N.C., Demon Deacon fans stormed the field and appeared to injure then-Duke forward Kyle Filipowski, who held an ice pack to his kneecap as he spoke to reporters later that evening.
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