Tar Heels fans rush on to Franklin Street as Tar Heels beat Duke in Final 4 showdown
As the final seconds ticked down, UNC Tar Heels fans began pouring out of bars and restaurants onto Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill late Saturday to celebrate their win over Duke.
After a tense see-saw game, fans erupted when it became clear Duke had run out of time to try to regain the lead in an historic Final Four game.
A bonfire was soon burning in the middle of the intersection of Franklin and Columbia streets as thousands crowded around. At the Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery on the corner, people stood on tables and ledges to try to take pictures of the crowd in the streets below.
People also climbed lights poles and trees to get above the crowd, and some shot off fireworks. A cutout of UNC coach Hubert Davis was passed around.
Town officials estimate 35,000 to 40,000 people took to the streets after the game. They said 10 people were treated for injuries and four were taken to the hospital, though none of the injuries were serious, according to town manager Maurice Jones.
Chapel Hill police said they made one arrest near Franklin and Columbia streets. They charged Jahari Rayeson Taylor, 19, of Chapel Hill with carrying a concealed gun without a permit and carrying a concealed gun after consuming alcohol.
The crowd had thinned out enough by 1 a.m. that police were able to reopen streets to traffic, Jones said.
Meanwhile, in the Dean E. Smith Center, where thousands had watched the game on big screens, people stormed the empty basketball court, jumping and screaming, as if the game had taken place right in front of them.
Christine Mendoza, a sophomore from Charlotte, had watched with friends and fellow church members in the student union, getting some homework done during the first half until the game became too gripping. When it was over, Mendoza joined the crowds on Franklin.
“It’s really exhilarating and amazing and I think it just highlights the community and the bond we all have as Tar Heels,” she said of the celebration.
Alumnus comes home to Franklin Street
Varun Jain knew he wanted to attend UNC in the middle of Franklin Street five years ago.
Jain, who is from Australia and grew up in Singapore and Switzerland, was considering Carolina when he visited campus in 2017. The Tar Heels beat Duke that weekend and when fans took to the streets he decided he wanted to be a Tar Heel, too.
Jain and friends, fellow UNC alumni, drove down from Washington, D.C., where he lives now to be part of Saturday’s Final Four game.
“We were scheduled to leave tomorrow night, but now we’re sticking around til Monday,” he said. “This is better than I could have imagined. I’ve moved around a lot, but when I cross that border back into North Carolina, it really feels like home.”
Fans came together to settle their nerves
Brad Etheridge made the two-hour drive to the Smith Center from Roanoke Rapids with family.
“Nervous,” was all he could say when asked how he was feeling as the group waited a few rows back from the empty court.
Etheridge said they couldn’t miss the opportunity to watch UNC-Duke meet in the Final Four from the Dean Dome.
“I think I’ll be less stressed here because I’m around a lot of Tar Heel fans,” he said before predicting a Carolina victory by 6 points.
Anali Castillo and Serena Zhang, both first year students, wore Tar Heel tattoos on their faces and painted “DUCK FUKE” down their legs in blue and white.
“I’m very anxious,” Zhang said. “Been nervous all week.”
They said despite the nervousness, they knew the Smith Center was where they’d watch.
“It’s such a good atmosphere, being surrounded by a lot of Carolina fans,” Castillo said.
They expect a close game and will “definitely” be rushing Franklin Street in the event of a win.
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Like a home game 850 miles away
As the game got underway, the Smith Center exploded with cheers after every basket, rebound and defensive play that went in Carolina’s favor.
A sizzle reel of UNC players in the NBA came on during the first TV timeout, getting everyone even more hyped up.
Brady Manek, Tyler Hansbrough and Leaky Black got the loudest cheers from the “and I am a Tar Heel” video that’s a fixture in Carolina games.
As Duke worked up a small lead in the first half, some fans let their exasperation show, calling on the referees to “do better” and the Heels to “execute.”
Bacot’s injury has fans worried
Sup Dogs on Franklin Street was at capacity and dozens gathered to watch from the sidewalk outside. The mood was tense but optimistic. Everyone put their hands up at free throws.
But the crowd was stunned into silence as Armando Bacot hobbled off the court after rolling his ankle.
“Caleb Love time!” someone shouted, and a cheer erupted.
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‘I couldn’t catch my breath’
Parsa Pazooki watched the game at Top of the Hill with MK Whelan and Katie Fesperman, all three 2021 graduates of UNC-CH.
“I’ve wanted this more than I’ve wanted anything in my entire life,” Pazooki said.
With Carolina bouncing in an out of a tie with Duke, the trio couldn’t sit still.
“Oh man, when Carolina tied it up, I couldn’t catch my breath,” Whelan said. “Exhilarating. That’s the only word I can use to describe it.”
Rivals keeping calm and staying together
When Anu and Uttam Reddy of Austin, Texas, learned the Final Four matchup would feature their alma maters, they knew they needed to fly to the Triangle for the occasion — even though they’ve been rooting for rival teams all 26 years of their marriage.
The couple ended up at Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery, overlooking the corner of Franklin and Columbia streets.
Anu (UNC-Chapel Hill ‘98) and Uttam (Duke ‘96) originally wanted to fly to New Orleans, but the cost of airfare made that impossible.
“Tickets were $6,000 each!” Uttam said. “To get here, we paid $800 on Southwest for the both of us.”
This game was so important to them that they decided against attending their friends’ wedding. The “redo wedding” was a reception to celebrate the couple’s one-year anniversary, as their pandemic wedding made a large reception unsafe, Uttam said.
“We came, and we compromised,” said Anu, who wore a “Keep Calm and Hate Duke” shirt in Carolina blue. “He came to Franklin to watch the game, but I’m staying in the Duke Washington Inn Hotel.”
Does he feel unsafe proclaiming his Duke fandom in Tar Heel stomping grounds?
“It’s all friendly so far, but I’m waiting until they get drunk,” said Uttam, who wore a shirt that said “Keep Calm and Hate UNC” in Duke blue. “When I walk by, they say, ‘You know we have to boo you.’ And I understand.”
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Two boys dressed as food for luck
The banana and hot dog costumes that have become fan favorites were in the Smith Center to watch, worn by Finley Benton and Kessler Petrarca, 13-year-old best friends from Sanford.
Finley started wearing the banana suit in 2019 and said in the dozens of Carolina football and basketball games he’s attended since, the Heels have only lost once.
“It’s kind of a good-luck charm,” he said.
This was Kessler’s first time in the Dean Dome. “I had to cop the glizzy,” he said, using internet slang for a hot dog.
The boys were only a yard from the hardwood Saturday night.
“I really don’t want to lose this game,” Finley said. “I have a lot of friends who are Duke fans, and I don’t want to hear it. I want to be the one bragging on Monday.”
Kessler predicted UNC would “crush” Duke “like 90-50.”
“I just wanna say Brady Manek is the best player in college basketball,” he said.
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UNC fans watch the matinee
The Smith Center began filling with fans well ahead of tip-off, with several hundred streaming in before 6 p.m. to catch the early game between Kansas and Villanova.
The UNC General Alumni Association had representatives posted outside the dome handing out “Beat Duke” stickers and Carolina Blue rams horns. The watch party is open to the public.
The crowd didn’t have a clear favorite in the Kansas-Villanova matchup, at least not during the first half beatdown Kansas gave the team that broke Carolina’s hearts back in 2016. The Jayhawks led 40-29 at halftime.
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A half hour before the tip, the hype videos had started on the big screens, prompting “Tar!” “Heel!” chants as the crowd got fired up.
The dancing began with “Swag Surf,” and when the pre-game broadcast came on, loud cheers went up every time Carolina players were mentioned and thunderous boos any time Duke appeared on screen.
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This story was originally published April 2, 2022 at 8:30 PM.
