UNC vs. Clemson: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Regular-Season Game

In the ACC opener for both programs, No. 19 North Carolina dismantled Clemson, 74-50, to continue its climb back into contention as one of the best teams in the country.

GoHeels Design provides a look at the final score from the blowout win for UNC:

Adam Lucas of GoHeels.com offers some background on the significance of the victory:

The Tar Heels have experienced an up-and-down season to this point but appear to be surging at the right time. Entering conference play, the Heels are now riding a five-game win streak after losing to No. 1 Kentucky.

Prior to the game, UNC coach Roy Williams referenced his concern about the team's early play, via Luke DeCock of The News & Observer:

"

Worried. That’s where I am. But I really believe we’re getting better. I really believe we’re making some strides.

...

I’m never going to say ‘overrated,’ but boy, when you see fourth, fifth, sixth in the country, I saw a lot of holes out there that we had hopes of filling. And a belief that we can fill those. I really do. I really believe we can be really good, but we have some very definite holes in our game that we have to improve or we have to hide.

"

Apparently, the new year brought a new UNC.

The Tar Heels not only dominated Clemson but had several players put up big numbers. Kennedy Meeks, who was battling a stomach bug before the game, led the way with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Along with Meeks, three other players also finished in double digits: Brice Johnson (10), Justin Jackson (13) and Marcus Paige (11). Since moving off the ball, Paige has improved drastically, as Adrian Atkinson of Inside Carolina notes:

During the first half, the Heels started off slowly on offense but smothered the Tigers on defense. UNC held Clemson in check throughout the first half, as the Tigers went just 5-of-28 from the floor. They wouldn't recover from those early woes, finishing 15-of-53 (28.3 percent) on the night.

UNC began to ratchet up the pressure near the end of the first half to throttle Clemson before heading into the locker room. The News & Observer's Andrew Carter noted the blistering finish to the half for the Heels:

Carolina's official account also points out how rare a lead has been for UNC this season:

Coming into the night, UNC ranked second in the country in rebounds with 44.9 per game. The Heels out-rebounded Clemson 49-30, creating myriad offensive opportunities and second-chance points.

Those rebounds helped the Heels in the second half by keeping the lead to double digits throughout the night. It simply continued a great day already for Triangle teams, as Bret Strelow of the Fayetteville Observer notes:

Following the massive win, UNC now has a tough slate ahead to keep its winning streak alive. The next three games will be at home against No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 5 Louisville before traveling to take on rival N.C. State.

Clemson, on the other hand, has to completely regroup after the difficult loss. The Tigers are now 8-5 and have a matchup of their own against Louisville coming up. Since they face off with several great ACC teams the rest of the way, more nights like Saturday will make for a long season.

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