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North Carolina, which hit 13 three pointers, never trailed but the Tar Heels did blow an 11-point lead to make for some late drama in an 88-82 victory in Syracuse. (2/15)

Carolina had to withstand a career high 26 points from Orange big man Eddie Lampkin and 20 second-half points from J.J. Starling. UNC’s Jae’lyn Withers, who got a rare start, and freshman Ian Jackson played big parts in offsetting the Syracuse effort.

Jackson, who hit five threes, scored 16 of his team-high 23 points in the first half as the Heels worked the lead up to 11 before settling for a 42-34 halftime edge.

In the second half, after Carolina held comfortable leads of seven to 11 points, Starling scored seven straight points to highlight an 8-0 Syracuse run that tied the game at 60-60.

With the Heels up just 65-64, Withers took over, scoring eight in a row including a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays. The second one came on a fastbreak rush by two defenders on a lead pass from R.J. Davis which made it 73-64 with 7:26 left.

“JWit came up huge for us,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “Yes, he was rebounding and he hit some threes (3) but where he helped us out the most was defensively. He played his best game of the season.”

When RJ Davis drilled a three from the right wing with 4:44 to go to make it 78-68, it looked like the Heels had the game under total control again.

But Carolina missed a couple of key free throws and Withers and Jalen Washington both fouled out, and Syracuse clawed back to winthin a basket at 82-80 with 58 seconds to go.

A drive-by layup by Eliot Cadeau and four free throws from Davis and Drake Powell wrapped it up.

“They have so much size that it makes it difficult with them in the zone (defense) for us to get to boards,” Coach Davis said. “You’ve got to knock down some jumpers.”

The Tar Heels outshot the Orange 49 percent to 44 percent and hit 13 of 28 threes while Syracuse only managed four of 13 from beyond the arc.

Carolina, which snapped a four-game road losing streak, is now 15-11 overall and 8-6 in the ACC. The Tar Heels host NC State Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Syracuse, 11-15 overall and 5-10 in the league, has now lost six of its last eight.

Box score

North Carolina football has offered Legarrette Blount Jr., the son of former Patriots RB Legarrette Blount, who won two Super Bowls with Belichick in New England. Please click here for more.