North Carolina’s Caleb Love scored 27 of his career-high 30 points in the second half including tying and go-ahead threes in the last 100 seconds to lead the Tar Heels to a 73-66 win over UCLA to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight. (3\/25) <\/p>\n
“Caleb played out of his mind in the second half,” fellow UNC guard R.J. Davis said. “But it was all about getting stops at the end.”<\/p>\n
The Tar Heels outscored UCLA 12-2 over the last couple of minutes to earn the win. “It was intense – we had to fight that one out,” Davis said.<\/p>\n
Love hit only one of eight shots in the first half but he changed shoes at the half at the suggestion of Eric Hoots, Carolina’s director of basketball operations. “Hoots told me to change shoes because I don’t play good in black shoes so I changed them,” Love said with a laugh. He said he got “in a mood” in the second half.<\/p>\n
“Coach (Hubert) Davis wanted me to attack the basket and I got a few layups going downhill and then I started hitting shots,” Love said. <\/p>\n
The Bruins led most of the game and nearly all of the first half, as they led by three at the half, 31-28, and by as many as five in the second half. But there also were 12 lead changes in the second half.<\/p>\n
The last lead change came after Love drained a three from the top of the key to tie it with just over 1:40 left and followed it with a three on the right side just in front of his coach to put the Heels up 67-64 with a minute to go. <\/p>\n
An Armando Bacot tip in, that just rolled in over the rim after a Davis miss, put the Heels up by two possessions with 15.5 seconds left. After a Bruin basket, four free throws by Love and Davis wrapped it up.<\/p>\n
Carolina had trailed for six straight minutes until Brady Manek, who hadn’t shot well, banged in a three from the left wing with 4:22 left to put the Heels up 61-60. UNC led only eight minutes and 20 seconds of the game. <\/p>\n
In addition to Love’s 30 points, Bacot had 14 points and 15 rebounds while Manek tallied 13 points and Davis 12.<\/p>\n
UCLA, led by Jules Bernard’s 16 points, ends the season 27-8.<\/p>\n
Carolina, now 27-9 overall, takes on Cinderella team St. Peters, who were a 15th seed, Sunday at 5:05 p.m. <\/p>\n