It took free throws by James Michael McAdoo, much maligned for his free throw shooting during the season, in the closing seconds to win it for the Tar Heels.
Trailing 71-64, UNC’s Brice Johnson got free for a dunk to pull the Heels within five. Carolina’s pressure defense stopped the Friars and Johnson hit a short jumper in the lane seconds later to make it 71-68.
Johnson followed up the offensive spurt with a blocked shot on the defensive end that led to a Marcus Paige three from the top of the key to tie it with just over three minutes left.
Twice Providence, behind Bryce Cotton (36 points on the night), got the lead back up to three. But Carolina came back both times. The first time JP Tokoto converted an old-fashioned three-point play when he hit a hanging in the air, across his body, off the backboard shot in the lane.
The second time Paige swished another three, this one shaded to the left of the key, to tie it at 77-all with 1:06 left.
Johnson came up with another good defensive play with 35 seconds left when he bothered a shot and came away with a rebound.
Carolina held for a last shot. Johnson got the ball down low and put up a shot with six seconds left. The shot was a wild one but McAdoo got the offensive rebound with 3.5 seconds left and was fouled.
It took officials three minutes to determine how much time was left on the clock. Then Providence coach Ed Cooley called a timeout to further ice McAdoo, who shoots only 54 percent from the line.
McAdoo’s high-arching shot swished through the net to give Carolina a 78-77 lead. The second free throw was long and McAdoo got his own rebound and was fouled with 1.7 seconds left. This time it only took officials two minutes to determine the time.
McAdoo again swished the first free throw but missed the second free throw. Providence’s Cotton got his hand on the rebound but it went out of bounds with less than a second left.
Carolina inbounded it to advance to the Round of 32 and move to 24-9 on the season.
While McAdoo hit only two of four free throws at the end, it was enough and ironically the two misses may have been positives in eating clock.
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