CLOSE LeBron James has nothing but good things to say about Zion Williamson and thinks this year's Duke team is something special. USA TODAY Sports

CONNECT11 TWEET11 LinkedIn11 COMMENT11 EMAIL11 MORE11 DURHAM, N.C. — Luke Maye took full advantage of a freak injury to freshman sensation Zion Williamson, finishing with 30 points and 15 rebounds to lead No. 9 North Carolina past No. 1 Duke 88-72 on Wednesday night.

A star-studded crowd that included former President Barack Obama , Spike Lee and Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. packed into Cameron looking for another highlight-filled show from Williamson – arguably the most exciting player in college basketball .

But the ACC’s second-leading scorer went down during the Blue Devils’ opening possession. Williamson grabbed his right knee in pain after slipping awkwardly and falling when his left shoe fell apart as he planted hard while dribbling near the free throw line. The blue rubber sole ripped loose from the white shoe from the heel to the toes along the outside edge, with Williamson’s foot coming all the way through the large gap.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski characterized Williamson's injury as a mild knee sprain, adding that his star's knee was "stable."

"We don't know how long he'll be out," Krzyzewski said, but noted the team should know more Thursday.

Cameron Johnson added 26 points and Garrison Brooks had 14 to help the Tar Heels (21-5, 11-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) earn their most lopsided win at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 30 years.

By winning their ninth in 10 games and beating an AP top-ranked team for the first time since 2013, they pulled into a first-place tie with the Blue Devils (23-3, 11-2).

More: Zion Williamson blows apart sneaker, heads to locker room with game-ending knee injury

More: Former President Barack Obama attends Duke-North Carolina game

RJ Barrett matched a season best with 33 points and fellow freshman Cameron Reddish added a season-high 27 for Duke – but the rest of the team combined to score just 12.

Duke looked lost without Williamson. Meanwhile, North Carolina took advantage of the Zion-sized hole in the lane, scoring 32 of its first 34 points in the paint and finishing with a 62-28 scoring advantage there. The Tar Heels never trailed, pushed their lead to 22 on Johnson’s layup with about 16 minutes left and held on.

Eight nights after the Blue Devils rallied from 23 down in the final 10 minutes to win at Louisville, they couldn’t come up with another comeback – especially without Williamson.

Feb 20, 2019; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cam Reddish (2) shoots over North Carolina Tar Heels forward Luke Maye (32) during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports (Photo11: Rob Kinnan, Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports)

BIG PICTURE

North Carolina: This was quite a statement from the Tar Heels, who followed up the most lopsided ACC road victory in school history with their most lopsided win at Cameron since they won by 20 here in 1989. It also was their first win over an AP No. 1 since knocking off Michigan State in December 2013.

Duke: The result of the game seems secondary to Williamson’s health, given how much he means to the Blue Devils and their national title hopes. Now the question is how much time – if any – he will miss going forward. Each of Duke’s losses since November came at home after a key freshman was injured early, with point guard Tre Jones’ shoulder injury leading to an overtime loss to Syracuse.

UP NEXT

North Carolina: Plays host to No. 17 Florida State on Saturday.

Duke: Visits Syracuse on Saturday night.

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Feb. 16: Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Shaquille Doorson (2) reacts after Iowa Hawkeyes guard Joe Wieskamp (10) banked in the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer at Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC). Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Feb. 16: Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena. Mark Zerof, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Feb. 9: Baylor Bears guard Mark Vital (11) blocks the shot of Kansas State Wildcats forward Xavier Sneed (20) during the first half at Ferrell Center. Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Feb. 9: Virginia Tech Hokies guard Ty Outlaw (42) tries to grab a loose ball against Clemson Tigers guard Marquise Reed (2) during the second half at Littlejohn Coliseum. Joshua S. Kelly, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Feb. 7: ESPN's Bill Walton (left) and Dave Pasch (right) hold up drawings for the camera as the Arizona Wildcats play the Washington Huskies during the first half at McKale Center. Casey Sapio, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Feb. 5: Missouri Tigers forward Reed Nikko (14) blocks a shot by Tennessee Volunteers forward Grant Williams (2) during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. Randy Sartin, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Jan. 27: Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Eric Curry (24) dunks the ball during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Williams Arena. Harrison Barden, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Jan. 15: Seton Hall Pirates forward Darnell Brodie (32) dunks in front of Providence Friars guard Alpha Diallo (11) during the first half at the Dunkin Donuts Center. Brian Fluharty, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Jan. 12: Arizona State Sun Devils guard Luguentz Dort (0) dunks the basketball in the first half against the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion. Robert Edwards, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Jan. 8: Tennessee Volunteers forward Kyle Alexander (11) and Missouri Tigers forward Jeremiah Tilmon (23) dive for a loose ball in the second half at Mizzou Arena. Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Jan. 6: Houston Cougars guard Dejon Jarreau (13) drives to the basket and collides with Memphis Tigers forward Mike Parks Jr. (10) during the first half at the Fertitta Center. Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Jan. 2: Michigan State Spartans forward Nick Ward (44) dunks the ball during the first half of a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at the Breslin Center. Mike Carter, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Dec. 22: Missouri Tigers guard Jordan Geist (15) cleans the floor during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Enterprise Center. Jeff Curry, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Dec. 21: Marquette Golden Eagles forward Theo John (4) dunks during the first half against the Buffalo Bulls at Fiserv Forum. Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Dec. 18: The Kansas Jayhawks bench celebrates as guard Charlie Moore (2) scores against the South Dakota Coyotes in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Dec. 6: Iowa State Cyclones guard Tyrese Haliburton (22) goes to the basket as Iowa Hawkeyes guard Maishe Dailey (1) defends during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Jeffrey Becker, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Dec. 1: Maryland Terrapins forward Bruno Fernando (23) reacts during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Dec. 1: Kansas Jayhawks center Udoka Azubuike (35) dunks the ball over Stanford Cardinal center Josh Sharma (20) during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 26: Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Brandon Clarke (15) passes the basketball around North Dakota State Bison forward Deng Geu (23) in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. James Snook, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 23: Virginia Cavaliers guard Kihei Clark (0) runs into Wisconsin Badgers guard D'Mitrik Trice (0) during the first half of the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game at Imperial Arena. Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 22: Butler Bulldogs guard Kamar Baldwin (3) dives to try to save a ball during the second half against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Imperial Arena. Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 22: Villanova Wildcats forward Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree (21) dunks over Canisius Golden Griffins guard Takal Molson (15) during the first half at HP Field House. Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 21: Syracuse Orange center Paschal Chukwu (13) hits Colgate Raiders forward Rapolas Ivanauskas (25) in the face while reaching for a loose ball during the first half at the Carrier Dome. Rich Barnes, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 11: Vanderbilt Commodores forward Simisola Shittu (11) dunks against the Southern California Trojans in the first half at Galen Center. Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 9: Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Reggie Perry (1) goes up for a shot while being defended by Austin Peay Governors guard Terry Taylor (21) during the first half at Humphrey Coliseum. Matt Bush, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 8: Chicago State Cougars forward Cameron Bowles (21) dunks against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. Matt Cashore, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 6: Duke Blue Devils center Marques Bolden (20) dunks against Kentucky Wildcats forward Nick Richards (4) in the second half of the Champions Classic. Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 6: Wichita State Shockers guard Erik Stevenson (10) scores a basket past Louisiana Tech Bulldogs forward Mubarak Muhammed (23) during the second half at Charles Koch Arena. Peter G. Aiken, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Nov. 6: Michigan State Spartans guard Matt McQuaid (20) scrambles for a loose ball against Kansas Jayhawks guard Charlie Moore (2) in the first half of the Champions Classic. Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen Interested in this topic? 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