Duke beat North Carolina 47-40 in 1979, in Jim Spanarkel’s final home game. The Blue Devils led 7-0 at halftime; UNC took just two first-half shots, both airballs. Rich Yonakor’s miss drew the crowd’s “Airball!” chant, credited with starting the taunt.
Duke coach Bill Foster used a 2-3 zone, while North Carolina coach Dean Smith wanted to force the Blue Devils into man-to-man defense. With no shot clock, UNC tried to hold the ball for much of the first half. Smith reportedly thought keeping the score low before halftime could give the Tar Heels a chance.
