CLEMSON, S.C. — North Carolina’s much-maligned guard Caleb Love shook off his struggles when it mattered most. Love made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds left. Then had a drive and assist to Brady Manek for the game-winning layup with 3.1 seconds as the Tar Heels escaped Clemson with a 79-77 win in Littlejohn Coliseum on Tuesday.
UNC forward Armando Bacot, who had game highs with 24 points and 10 rebounds, fouled out with 1:04 left and the Heels trailing 75-74. Bacot ran into Clemson guard David Collins, who may have exaggerated the contact when he fell.
It left Carolina without its most consistent scorer for the game’s remaining vital possessions. But Love made the two biggest plays of the game for the Heels in the final minute.Trailing 75-74, Love got isolated on Clemson’s P.J. Hall and pulled up for a 3-pointer. He had made just one of his prior six attempts from behind the arc, but nailed it when it counted.
Love also had five turnovers — his third straight game with four or more. And several came when he drove to the basket with no where to pass. But on Carolina’s final possession, he drove with a purpose and found Manek open for the layup when his defender tried to help out.
The Tar Heels (17-7, 9-4 ACC) began the game like they did in many of their losses — watching their opponent get off to a fast start. Clemson led 8-0 and 19-8 early, before both David Collins and P.J. Hall picked up two fouls each. As they sat for the remainder of the half, the Tigers got cold offensively. UNC outscored the Tigers 22-6 to end the first half with a 30-25 lead.
Here’s what we learned in the Heels’ win:
R.J. on point
R.J. Davis began the game handling the ball more in Carolina’s halfcourt sets that he generally has with Love in the same lineup. It didn’t make much of a difference for Carolina.
The Heels committed eight turnovers in the first half which led to six Clemson points.
Playing off the ball didn’t get Love out of his shooting slump. He was just 2 for 7 from the field in the first half.
Flagrant runs
Carolina twice aided Clemson rallies when it was called for flagrant fouls. Manek appeared to be called more for the hard fall that Collins took while airborne than for a flagrant foul. But the Tigers used the free throws and a 3-pointer from Alex Hemenway for a 5-0 run to pull within one.
When UNC wrestled a five point lead with 11:41 remaining, Bacot picked up his fourth foul when he mushed Collins in the face while battling for position in the post. Clemson made it a 4-point possession with Collins’ free throws and a Naz Bohannon layup.
Davis didn’t get a flagrant, but he was given a technical foul after making a layup that put UNC up 66-64 with 5:47 left. Clemson’s Al-Amir Dawes tied it with free throws, but Bohannon missed a layup on the ensuing possession that would have given them the lead.
Freshmen lineup
When freshmen Dontrez Styles and D’Marco Dunn have gotten their longest stretches of playing time this season, it’s generally come in blowout games. But both made their rare appearance in the first half at Clemson.
Styles, a 6-foot-6 wing from Kinston, was the first to enter replacing Leaky Black in the lineup. Styles had two rebounds in four minutes. And maybe more important for him to continue to get minutes, he didn’t have any glaring mistakes defensively.
Dunn, a 6-foot-4 guard from Tuscon, Ariz., only played a minute in the first half.
Could it be the start of a trend to get them more experience? They both played surrounded by veterans and did not play in the same lineup together. With the Heels down both Anthony Harris and Dawson Garcia from their rotation, they could use the added depth.
