UNC’s comeback falls short; Clemson survives 82-78 to stay undefeated at home

A 16-point halftime deficit can be daunting.

It means you’re stuck playing catch-up the rest of the game, stuck craning your neck on the bench to check if the hole has diminished at all – and that was the case for No. 19 North Carolina on Tuesday, playing No. 20 Clemson in Littlejohn Coliseum.

That UNC trailed by so much at the half was no surprise, given that Clemson made 10-of-19 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes (including a buzzer-beater) and that UNC’s perimeter defense has struggled.

What was surprising was that the Tar Heels, who eventually lost 82-78, were able to mount any sort of comeback. Most of that credit belongs to Cameron Johnson, the graduate transfer from Pitt who has played his two best games of the season against the Tigers. While regular UNC contributors like Huntersville native Luke Maye and Kenny Williams were largely ineffective, Johnson hit shots from everywhere on the court.

And eventually, North Carolina even tied the game at 74 with 1 minute, 55 seconds to play. TheTar Heels couldn’t hold on from there, though, as back-to-back Clemson baskets gave the Tigers just enough breathing room to keep their undefeated record at home intact.

Three who mattered

Marcquise Reed: He led the Tigers in scoring the first time these teams played with 21 points, and his 20 in the rematch – none bigger than a 3 with under 2 minutes to play – were essential for Clemson to win.

Cameron Johnson: Johnson was a big reason the Tar Heels clawed back into this game, and even his career-high 32 points weren’t enough for UNC to pull ahead Tuesday.

Gabe DeVoe: The former Shelby star didn’t outduel UNC’s Joel Berry, but he made plays when it mattered and scored 17 points on 5-for-8 from behind the arc.

Observations

▪  Clemson’s first eight made baskets were 3-pointers, as the Tigers built an early 26-17 lead (two free throws, too). That wasn’t unexpected, either, as UNC allows more than 10 made 3s per game. The Tigers ultimately made 10-of-19 3-pointers in the first half.

▪  The Tigers came into the game with an interior edge against the Tar Heels, whose three freshman big men have struggled this season, and an early injury only made that a more drastic imbalance. Theo Pinson, who plays the majority of his minutes at power forward, left the game about two minutes in with a shoulder injury and did not return.

▪  UNC opened the second half with six straight points, courtesy of Kenny Williams, to cut the deficit back to a more reasonable 10 points.

▪  With countless players out, UNC turned to freshman guard Andrew Platek for serious backup minutes at the point. But he didn’t score and had just three rebounds in 15 minutes.

▪  In UNC’s loss to N.C. State on Saturday, the Wolfpack made 15-of-30 3-pointers. Clemson tied that mark Tuesday, good for a season-high in makes. (Conversely, UNC made just 10 of its 24 attempts.)

Worth mentioning

▪  This was UNC’s first game without freshman guard Jalek Felton, who was suspended by the university on Tuesday morning for undisclosed reasons.

▪  In both games this season, Clemson and UNC were ranked – that hasn’t happened since 2008.

▪  UNC hadn’t lost three straight games, before this current stretch, since the 2013-2014 season (Wake Forest, Miami and Syracuse, to open ACC play).

They said it

“I’ve got no answers, guys. I’ve never emphasized something so much in my life.” – UNC coach Roy Williams on his team’s struggles with 3-point defense.

“If you let Joel Berry and Cam Johnson start playing with a free mind, you’re in trouble.” – Clemson coach Brad Brownell.

“I was trying to get out the way. I didn’t know they were going to storm the court, but I was just excited to see everyone out there asking for pictures and things like that.” – DeVoe on Clemson students storming the court after the game.

This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 9:23 PM with the headline "UNC’s comeback falls short; Clemson survives 82-78 to stay undefeated at home."