North Carolina overcame foul trouble, controversial officiating and Clemson players having their best games to edge Clemson 79-77 at Littlejohn Coliseum. (2/8)
It took a couple of big plays by Caleb Love, who had struggled, in the last minute for the Tar Heels to get the victory. Down 75-74 and with Armando Bacot fouled out, Love drained a three from the left wing to put Carolina up 77-75.
Clemson’s P.J. Hall, who had a season-high 24 points, hit a baby hook to tie it up.
After a UNC timeout, Love penetrated toward the basket and underhanded a pass to Brady Manek, another player who had an up-and-down game, who grabbed it and put it in with three seconds left to put the Heels up.
After timeouts by each team, Clemson’s David Collins got a good look at a very long three but came up short at the buzzer.
“We are a tough and resilient group,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “There were tough stretches for Caleb but he hit a big three at the end and there were tough stretches for Brady and he came up with the shot at the end.”
Coach Davis said Manek was really getting into position for an offensive rebound but the driving Love saw him and Manek got it, put it in.
“He put himself in excellent position for the pass and the pass was brilliant,” he said.
Briefly it looked as if Love would be the goat rather than the hero after committing three of his five turnovers during the late stretches of the game. And Manek wasn’t much better as he missed four of five three-point attempts and turned the ball over three times.
As it turned out, they were two of the five Carolina players in double figures as Manek had 11 and Love finished with 10.
The Tar Heels were led by Bacot with 24 points and 10 rebounds even though the big man picked up three quick fouls in the second half and missed a good chunk of the game in foul trouble. He fouled out with about a minute to play.
R.J. Davis overcame a technical foul for something he said after a basket to score 16 points while Leaky Black scored all 11 of his points in the second half.
While Davis seemed to indicate that he didn’t think the technical was warranted, he said he learned his lesson.
Clemson ran out to a 19-8 lead to start the game as Carolina was cold, going just three of 12. But the Heels went on a 13-2 run highlighted by Bacot’s eight points.
The Heels took a 30-25 lead into the half, extending the lead to nine early in the second half. But the Tigers tied it a 49-49 with 13 minutes left.
From there on, the wild game went back and forth as officials started calling the game closer than they did in the first half. Carolina overcame a pair of flagrant fouls and the Tigers going 19 of 21 from the foul line.
The Tigers, who were 8-2 at home, got a career-high 12 points from Ian Schieffelin but fell to 12-11 overall and 4-8 in the ACC
North Carolina, now 17-7 overall and 9-4 in the ACC, plays at home against Florida State Saturday.
For a box score and more on the game, please click here.
