WATCH: Hubert Davis sends emotional message to North Carolina fans following Final Four win

After North Carolina outlasted rival Duke 81-77 in the Final Four on Saturday, Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis couldn’t hold back his emotion. Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to explain to CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson just how special this moment is to him.

“I don’t know,” an overwhelmed Davis said. “I haven’t had a chance to think about it. All I know is this has been a group of toughness, perseverance, resiliency. I’ve said that over the last two, two-and-a-half months, this group has been so together. The help of this team and this program is at it’s finest. I’m just so proud of seeing them continue to have experiences, testimonies and stories out there. I’m just telling you as a coach, it brings so much joy to me to see these guys having a smile on their face and come up big. This is a beautiful moment.”

In his first year as head coach for @UNC_Basketball, Hubert Davis is taking his team to the NCAA National Championship. He and @caleb2love join @tracywolfson after the game: pic.twitter.com/KGVg0tCEmA

— March Madness Men’s Basketball TV (@MM_MBB_TV) April 3, 2022

There was much anticipation entering Saturday, as it was the first time in their stories history that the Blue Devils and Tar Heels had met in the NCAA Tournament. The game lived up to the hype, with 18 lead changes throughout.

Tar Heels guard Caleb Love delivered the 3-point dagger with 24 seconds remaining to give his team a 78-74 lead. Duke quickly answered with a two-point basket of its own, but ultimately ran out of time as it saw its storybook season come to a close. Free throws would ultimately cap things off, as Love hit two with 7.8 seconds remaining to secure the win.

For Hubert Davis, who is in his first season as head coach of UNC after nine years as an assistant, this run to the Final Four has put the Tar Heels back where they belong. North Carolina had failed to reach 18 wins in each of the past two seasons, and even this year wasn’t considered a contender for the title. But despite entering the tournament as a No. 8 seed, UNC will have a chance to cut down the nets Monday against Kansas.

“I felt like over the last two of three years, North Carolina wasn’t relevant,” Davis said. “North Carolina should never be irrelevant. It should be front and center with the spotlight on players like Caleb and RJ. I’m just so happy for them. I’m so happy for our program and university. It’s a beautiful day for North Carolina basketball.”

Armando Bacot led the charge for North Carolina, pulling down 21 rebounds in addition to his 11 points before fouling out with 46.7 seconds to play. Love led the Tar Heels in scoring with 27 points, including the dagger three with 24 seconds to play. It only added to his massive NCAA Tournament this year.