DURHAM, NC (AP) — Dukaz star big man Kyle Filipowski said he didn’t intend to trip North Carolina forward Harrison Ingram during the first half of Saturday night’s rivalry game after the two they were confused as Filipowski defended an Ingram shot.
“I’m not really too sure how this whole situation happened, to be honest,” Filipovski said following the seventh-ranked Tar Heels’ 84-79 win against the ninth-ranked Blue Devils. “I was really just getting up. My foot slipped. I don’t know how I caught him. That’s really all I have.”
Ingram had missed the shot and both players ended up on the floor near the 6 minute mark. But as Ingram got up to get back on defense, replays showed Filipovski kicking his right leg and tripping Ingram back onto the hardwood near center court.
UNC coach Hubert Davis immediately began motioning for the officials to watch the replay, but there was no whistle, stoppage or review as the rivalry battle continued.
But the project has gotten more attention since former Duke player Grayson Allen had a string of tripping incidents several years ago, including one against Elon in December 2016 that led to a team suspension for one game and another the previous season against Florida State that led to a reprimand from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Ingram turned back to tell official Ted Valentine that he thought he had been tripped during the sequence. Ingram told reporters afterward that he felt Filipovski tripped him, but he wasn’t “really sure” and hadn’t seen a replay yet.
“I thought he did,” Ingram said, explaining that those were his feelings at the time. “I’m not sure if it was a basketball game or not.”
Filipovski said he didn’t see Ingram as he got up behind him to run, although replays showed Ingram put his hands on Filipovski’s back as he got to his feet and tried to jump over Filipovski’s legs.
“I didn’t even know he was back with me,” Filipowski said. “I thought I was the only one left (in the backcourt), but that’s about all I can remember.”
UNC’s win clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championship, the program’s first title since 2017.
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