After head coach Roy Williams left the game following a vertigo spell late in the first half on Saturday night, the fifth-ranked Tar Heels rallied to defeat the Clemson Tigers at Littlejohn Coliseum by a score of 81-79.
With assistant coach Steve Robinson taking over Williams’ duties for the second half, UNC (24-5, 14-2 ACC) was able to do just enough down the stretch to hang on for the victory.
Clemson (17-12, 7-9 ACC) had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but turned the ball over underneath the basket—which allowed the Tar Heels a chance to throw it to the other side of the court so the buzzer could finally sound.
Marcquise Reed led Clemson with 24 points in the Tigers’ 81-79 loss to UNC on Saturday. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)
Freshman point guard Coby White had another incredible performance, as he led UNC with 28 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Cameron Johnson added 19 points, while senior forward Luke Maye was the third Tar Heel to reach double figures as he posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Both White and Johnson made six three-pointers apiece for UNC, which battled back from a six-point deficit in the second half in order to get the win for their head coach.
“It’s excruciating pain for a little while,” Williams told reporters afterwards about his vertigo scare. “I started feeling a heck of a lot better, but [Robinson] was up six or seven and I didn’t want to jinx him.
“If we had lost, I would have gone out there with them,” the coach added. “But I didn’t want to jinx them at that time, and yes I’m a little superstitious. But I’m so proud of our team.”
Clemson received 24 points from guard Marcquise Reed and shot 47 percent from the floor compared to just 41 percent from UNC. The Tigers also made 17 free throws and also nearly won the rebounding battle against the Tar Heels, but still weren’t able to overcome the clutch scoring that White and Johnson provided.
The outside shooting from those two players helped UNC pull out a road win without its head coach, and on a night in which it managed only 18 points in the paint.
Senior guard Kenny Williams also made three of his four free throws in the final 20 seconds with the Tigers threatening to tie things up, which proved to be just enough for UNC to get out with the victory.
As a result, the Tar Heels have now won 12 of their last 13 games and remain in a tie with Virginia atop the ACC standings entering the final week of the regular season.
They also improved to 8-0 on the road against conference opponents this season, showing they have clearly found a formula for winning in tough environments through tough situations.
“This is what conference play is about at this time of the year,” Robinson said. “Everybody’s just fighting, scratching and clawing for every win that you can get.
“And our guys showed a lot of poise,” he continued. “Our senior leaders were what they should be, leading our basketball team. And I think that helps Coby to be free to be able to do what he does, and that’s score.”
Up Next:
A trip to face Boston College is next for the Tar Heels in what will represent their second-to-last regular season game. Tip-off for that one is set for 8 p.m.
Game Notes:
- This was the fifth time this season that Coby White has scored at least 25 points.
- White and Cameron Johnson combined to go 12-for-19 from three point range. The rest of the Tar Heels went 1-for-14 from long range.
- Luke Maye became the 29th Tar Heel in school history to reach 100 career made three-pointers.
- The Tar Heels are now 23-1 this year in games where they score at least 75 points.
Cover photo via Associated Press
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