North Carolina, up by 14 at the half, went cold in the second half just when Notre Dame was getting hot but a 7-0 run late righted the ship as the Tar Heels won their 12th straight game on Senior Night 63-61. (3/3)

Carolina, which led by as many as 15 points in the first half, managed just two baskets in the first 10 minutes of the second half. On the other side, Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton came out hot hitting his first four shots of the second half, including a three-point shot and an old-fashioned three-point play.

After a three by Steve Vasturia, Notre Dame took the lead for the first time in the game at 47-46 with 14:14 left in the game.

Over the next eight minutes, neither team did much combining for just seven points as the game was tied at 50 with 6:12 to go. That served Notre Dame’s deliberate style.

Vasturia, who had fouled Nate Britt hard minutes earlier, scored on a layup with 3:57 left to put the Irish on top 56-54 amid boos from the Carolina crowd.

Over the next two and a half minutes, the Tar Heels went on an 7-0 run. James Michael McAdoo hit one of two free throws to start the run. He continued it with a big shot in the lane to put the Heels up for good at 57-56.

UNC’s Brice Johnson scored on a reverse layup to give the Heels a 59-56. He was fouled and had a chance to make it a two-possession game with just 2:25 left but he missed the foul shot.

After a Vasturia miss, Carolina ate some clock and scored on a JP Tokoto short jumper late in the shot clock to put the Heels up 61-56 with 1:24 left.

The Tar Heels couldn’t quite put it away as their best free throw shooter Marcus Paige missed two of four. As a result, Notre Dame’s Eric Atkins, who led the Irish with 21 points, had a chance to tie it with a driving layup at the buzzer but Paige blocked the shot and the Tar Heels escaped with the victory.

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