CHAPEL HILL While he watched the final moments between Duke and North Carolina unfold in front of him Wednesday night, North Carolina coach Roy Williams crouched in front of the bench.

Duke's Austin Rivers maneuvered up the court, used a screen to create some space and then released what will be one of the most memorable shots in this rivalry's history. When it went in to give the Blue Devils an 85-84 victory at the buzzer, Williams' first reaction was similar to that of about 20,000 others at the Smith Center. He froze.

He remained in that crouched position for a moment or two, and briefly put his head down. Then he rose to his feet, shook hands with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff and players, and it wasn't long before Williams was talking about the importance of moving on.

During his postgame meeting with reporters, Williams' first congratulated the Blue Devils. He spoke of heartbreak and mistakes, and his voice trembled at times with emotion. But as the minutes wore on, he spoke less with a tone of deference and more with one of determination.

"The only good you can take from it (is if you) become more determined," he said. "You ought to be ticked off. You ought to be flat-out ticked off - and that's the best language I can use - that you're going to become more determined."

No. 5 North Carolina had been dealt disappointment before this season. The Tar Heels were soundly beaten in a 90-80 loss against Nevada-Las Vegas in the Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 26. Then came that 73-72 loss at Kentucky on Dec. 3, and an embarrassing 90-57 defeat at Florida State on Jan. 14.

But North Carolina hadn't lost a game like the one it did Wednesday night. Not this season. Maybe not ever.

Leading 82-72 with 2 minutes, 38 seconds to play, the Tar Heels committed two turnovers, missed two key free throws and failed to generate a single defensive stop. Duke made three 3-pointers in that span, with the last of those hanging in the air while the final buzzer blared.

"There wasn't much to say," Tar Heels sophomore Harrison Barnes said. "You go out there, don't play well in the first half, play well in the second half, and then you blow a 10-point lead and lose on a last-second shot. I mean, do you get mad? Do you say, 'Guys, come together?' There's not much to say."

The Tar Heels had plenty of chances to put Duke away, but didn't. They led by 13 with 15:08 to play, by 12 with 7:20 to play, by 11 with 4:59 to play and by 10 with 2:38 to play. The final score represented Duke's only lead of the second half.

Yet afterward, Williams said he didn't want his team to dwell. He wanted it instead to be angry. To be motivated.

"My team better by God come back and decide they're going to be better," he said. "We lost a game that we could have won. If we don't learn something from that and come back and be more determined, I've got the wrong group.

"And I don't think I have the wrong group. If we start laying around and feeling sorry - oh, my ankle's hurting, my knee's hurting, my head's hurting. You know, get your butt out of the locker room because by God we're going to come back and go to work. That's the way we better look at it."

Strickland has surgery: Junior guard Dexter Strickland had surgery on his right knee to repair his meniscus and reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament.

He was injured during a Jan. 19 victory at Virginia Tech and is out for the season.