Breakdown lane: Withers’ violation leads to Duke’s win over UNC and comfort from Davis

Jae’Lyn Withers committed what instantly became the most infamous lane violation in UNC basketball history Friday night, messing up a monumental ACC Tournament semifinal comeback against Duke and writing his name into the best rivalry in sports in the worst way.

About 45 minutes later, the Charlotte native explained his mistake to the media — one that negated a Tar Heel comeback from 24 points down in the second half. This time Withers had his left arm thrown over the shoulders of UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis, who stood beside Withers both literally and figuratively.

“I guess you could just say I kind of mistimed the shot,” Withers said. “I was trying to make sure I crashed (the boards) hard, to secure a rebound in case he did miss.”

Withers’ miscue ensured that the Tar Heels and their fans are about to spend a very nervous weekend until the NCAA Tournament bracket is announced Sunday at 6 p.m. UNC’s at-large chances, once nearly left for dead, have been revived over the past six weeks or so. And the Tar Heels (22-13) ultimately had a good-but-not-great performance in the ACC Tournament, winning two games before losing in the final five seconds to the No. 1 team in the country (although Duke was without Cooper Flagg, who was resting his injured ankle).

Of course the Tar Heels would be much less nervous had they won Friday night vs. Duke. The game’s bizarre ending added a new chapter to this old battle.

Who can remember a lane violation deciding a game? Who can remember a lane violation ever being called in, say, the NBA, where the best players in the world step into the lane like Withers did on practically every free throw?

But that’s not to say Withers didn’t do it. He did it, all right. He messed up. He also made seven three-point shots against Notre Dame earlier in this ACC Tournament, though, which set a UNC record for this tournament and was a career high for him.

“Guys, we’re not here without him,” Davis said, speaking of Withers to the media. Davis standing alongside Withers struck me as a classy gesture, and Withers answering for his mistake rather than hiding from the media was another.

And what a final sequence it was. The free throw shooter was UNC’s Ven-Allen Lubin, who had a terrific game, and the situation was this: With UNC down 72-71, Lubin had gotten fouled with 4.1 seconds left. He missed the first free throw, however, meaning the best he could do was tie the game.

Between the first and second free throws, Davis substituted Withers into the game in place of Elliot Cadeau. Withers’ job was simple. If Lubin missed again, the 6-foot-9 forward had to fight for the rebound.

But Withers, a 24-year-old UNC graduate student who once starred at North Mecklenburg High, got overanxious at just the wrong time. He stepped with his right foot into the restricted area before Lubin released his second free throw.

Withers pulled his foot back quickly, but replays showed that it was an obvious error. The referee saw it and whistled the play dead.

Meanwhile, Lubin had already released the free throw — and it had gone in. In the chaotic noise of a sold-out ACC semifinal at Spectrum Center, the whistle was hard to hear, and most fans thought the Tar Heels had made it all the way back from 24 points down against Duke to tie the game at 72-all. A potential overtime period loomed.

Instead, there was a lane violation on Withers, and the free throw was erased. That was followed by Kon Knueppel getting fouled and making two free throws for Duke, pushing the Blue Devils’ margin to 74-71.

Needing a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, UNC couldn’t get the ball inbounds to R.J Davis as Duke did a nice job switching. Instead, Lubin had to heave up a potential game-tying three-pointer, which bounced off the rim, and Duke had escaped.

Withers was asked after the game if he’d been called for a lane violation in his basketball career.

“It’s rare,” he said. “Definitely rare.”

After the call, Withers said he felt “disbelief, initially.” And then he just felt bad. His teammates to a man tried to tell him it wasn’t his fault and reminded him of the many good plays he’s made for the 22-13 Tar Heels.

“The run that we made over the last month and a half, it’s because of our team, but also directed toward (Withers),” Hubert Davis said again, Withers’ left arm still around his shoulders. “What he’s done for us — we’re not sitting here in the semifinals playing Duke without him. He’s just been a huge part of our team and our program.”

Now Withers, Davis and the rest must hope that they get to play in the NCAA Tournament. They are on the bubble in all projections — in the field or the First Four in some, among the “First Four” out in some others. There’s no way to know yet.

But for Withers, he really needs UNC to get in. Because he doesn’t want that lane violation to be his defining memory.

This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Breakdown lane: Withers’ violation leads to Duke’s win over UNC and comfort from Davis."

Scott Fowler

The Charlotte Observer

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Columnist Scott Fowler has written for The Charlotte Observer since 1994 and has earned 26 APSE awards for his sportswriting. He hosted The Observer’s podcast “Carruth,” which Sports Illustrated once named “Podcast of the Year.” Fowler also conceived and hosted the online series and podcast “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” which featured 1-on-1 interviews with NC and SC sports icons and was turned into a book. He occasionally writes about non-sports subjects, such as the 5-part series “9/11/74,” which chronicled the forgotten plane crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 in Charlotte on Sept. 11, 1974. Support my work with a digital subscription