North Carolina Back On Track with Victory vs Clemson

Coming off a hard-fought loss at Duke Wednesday, North Carolina aimed to get back on track with a win against Clemson. With the help of their two stud freshmen and John Henson, the Tar Heels were able to do just that. 

Littlejohn Coliseum has been a tough place for North Carolina over the past few years. This year proved no different. In a tightly contested battle, North Carolina took down Clemson by a score of 64-62. North Carolina (18-6, 8-2) used a 8-1 run to push their lead to 59-52 with just 38 seconds left. Clemson (17-8, 6-5) dropped just their second game at home this season. 

A game with serious NCAA tournament implications came down to the wire. Solid free-throw shooting and defense sealed the deal for UNC late. With just three minutes left and the game tied at 51-51, Harrison Barnes delivered a Vince Carter type dunk that silenced the crowd and shifted the momentum in favor of North Carolina.

"The crowd went silent," Kendall Marshall said. The dunk gave the Heels just what they needed to finish the game strong.

John Henson went for 14 points and 12 rebounds this afternoon as North Carolina swept another regular season series against Clemson. A monumental effort from freshmen Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall proved to be the difference this afternoon. Marshall contributed a career-high 18 points and hit big free throws down the stretch to seal the deal. Barnes also had a big day, scoring 20 points while grabbing five boards. 

Clemson was led in scoring by senior sensation Demontez Stitt, who poured in 17 points for the Tigers. Clemson was also helped out by their bench today with 23 points, 15 of which were from Milton Jennings. The North Carolina bench, on the other hand, finished with just one point on 0-for-9 shooting. 

The win keeps the Tar Heels in the hunt for an ACC crown. Just one game behind Duke, Carolina is down to their final six conference games. With four of their their final six at home, Carolina seems to poised to make their move. The Tar Heels and the rest of the ACC also found out that their trip to Florida State may be a bit easier with the loss of Chris Singleton today to a broken foot. 

Despite the tough loss, Clemson still appears to be a tournament team. Competing with the Tar Heels is another sign of good things to come for Clemson. North Carolina exorcised some of their own demons by giving up another lead today. This time however the Tar Heels were able to hold on for their eight conference victory which is already three more than last year.