North Carolina survived an off night from its leading scorer as five Tar Heels scored in double figures to send Clemson to its 58th straight loss in Chapel Hill. (12/30)

UNC’s Brice Johnson, who seemed frustrated most of the night, finished with just three points on a one of eight shooting night. But Isaiah Hicks came off the bench to score 14 in his stead while Marcus Paige led the way with 18 points while Joel Berry scored 14.

Theo Pinson gave the Tar Heels a lift off the bench, hitting all five of his shots, which included three three-pointers for 13 points. Justin Jackson was the fifth Tar Heel in double figures, also with 13.

“We didn’t get much out of Brice tonight,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “It was a tough night for Brice. He must be reading his pub that he was all-world.”

Williams said Johnson has been “sensational” so far this season because he has worked hard in practice and played hard in games. But on this night, he missed some open shots and got frustrated. He also was pushed away from the basket and shot longer shots than normal.

Coach Williams pointed to the play of Hicks and Pinson off the bench as key. The two together went 10 of 11 with 12 rebounds. With Kennedy Meeks still out with an injury and fellow big men Johnson and Joel James having off nights, their play was essential.

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