Beating Duke was special moment for Chapel Hill native Jarin Stevenson

For a kid like Jarin Stevenson , who grew up a huge UNC fan in Chapel Hill, Saturday night's result against Duke was a picture-perfect ending.

North Carolina trailed nearly the entire game, but took its lone lead with under a second remaining, thanks to Seth Trimble's heroic shot. The Tar Heels roared back to win, 71-68 , extending their streak to five while remaining perfect at home – and deal the Blue Devils (21-2, 10-1 ACC) their first conference loss.

Stevenson drew the start over Jaydon Young , delivering five points, one rebound and assist each in 25 minutes. Sure, Stevenson's stat line might not be eye-popping, but he delivered plenty of defensive hustle plays that gave UNC (19-5, 8-3 ACC) chances throughout.

After North Carolina's thrilling comeback, Stevenson spoke on what it meant to play in – and win – on Saturday night, considering his extensive history as a fan.

"Yeah, it’s crazy," Stevenson said. "I remember attending Duke -UNC games back when I was younger. So yeah, it’s a surreal feeling just being able to play in it – the way it ended, the way we were able to come back and knock down the shots near the end. It’s definitely a surreal feeling and the crowd getting into it and everything, the atmosphere was great. So yeah, I’m proud of our guys.”

Stevenson spent his first two collegiate seasons at Alabama , then transferred to UNC last offseason . Before collegiate ball, Stevenson thrived for three years at Seaforth (Pittsboro, N.C.) High School, averaging a double-double in his junior season and winning North Carolina's 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year honors.

Jarin's mom, Nicole (Walker) Stevenson, won three ACC championships as a Tar Heel under the watch of legendary head coach Sylvia Hatchell. Now, Jarin gets to experience North Carolina basketball as a player himself – and Saturday's moment very likely soars atop his list.

Pretty cool night for a kid from Chapel Hill, right?

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Jarin Stevenson says beating Duke was 'surreal'