Ian Jackson, UNC Thrill CBB Fans By Rallying Past No. 18 UCLA for Upset Win

How's that for a comeback?

Despite trailing by as many as 16 points in the second half, North Carolina stunned No. 18 UCLA on Saturday, winning 76-74 behind Ian Jackson's 24 points off the bench.

North Carolina only held two leads in the entire game—2-0 early in the contest, and the late lead after RJ Davis' free throws put them up a point with just seven seconds remaining:

UCLA had a chance at a game-winning bucket but Sebastian Mack missed his attempt, Drake Powell secured the defensive rebound, hit one of his two free throws and that was all she wrote.

Davis finished with 17 points, while Tyler Bilodeau led the Bruins with 26 points and Mack added 22 points off the bench.

After the contest, fans and pundits alike were impressed with the comeback victory:

The Tar Heels badly needed this win. The team is now just 7-5 on the season and has struggled against top opponents this season, with losses to Kansas, Auburn, Michigan State, Alabama and Florida. Expectations are always high in Chapel Hill—especially after the team opened the season with a top-10 ranking—and a 6-6 start to the season, even against a tough schedule, would have been deemed unacceptable.

Saturday's victory was only worth one win in the long run, but the Tar Heels needed to show they could handle a better opponent, and showing the resolve to erase a major deficit is an added bonus. If North Carolina ends up going on a run in March, Saturday's win will probably be remembered as the catalyst for the turnaround.