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(5) North Carolina (18-2) at North Carolina State (11-7)
Just as North Carolina seemed to be back on track after an uncharacteristic start to conference play, it nearly suffered another ACC upset. Ty Lawson made sure that didn’t happen.
After leading his team to its fourth straight conference win with a late surge and a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, Lawson looks to help the fifth-ranked Tar Heels extend the streak as they visit North Carolina State on Saturday.
North Carolina (18-2, 4-2) spent all of November and December as the top-ranked team in the AP poll before losing its first two conference games for the first time since 1996-97.
The Tar Heels rebounded with three straight ACC victories by at least 17 points apiece, including a 94-70 rout of then-No. 10 Clemson that seemed to indicate they were back in early-season form. But they looked vulnerable again Wednesday night before Lawson came through late.
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The junior guard scored nine of his 21 points in the final 6:01 and made a running 3-pointer from the top of the arc at the buzzer to give North Carolina an 80-77 win over Florida State.
According to the team’s official Web site, it was the Tar Heels’ first win as time expired since Brendan Haywood made a putback against UNC-Charlotte on Dec. 12, 1998.
“I was supposed to go to halfcourt and get a timeout, but that wasn’t open. So Coach told me, if that didn’t happen, get the ball and just run with it,” Lawson said. “I saw there was one second on the clock and shot a floater. It went in luckily. I wasn’t sure.”
The Tar Heels won despite shooting 38.1 percent from the field, committing a season-high 21 turnovers and giving up 42 second-half points. They also overcame a rough night for reigning national Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough, who was held to a season-low eight points.
“How lucky we were,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “That’s the bottom line.”
The Tar Heels may need a better performance against the Wolfpack (11-7, 2-4), who are desperate to snap their four-game losing streak against their instate rivals.
N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe led his team to an 83-79 upset of then-No. 3 North Carolina in his first game in the rivalry Feb. 3, 2007. The Wolfpack have been outscored by an average of 18.3 points since then, and Lowe admits that’s been hard to swallow.
“You can’t hide that. It is what it is,” Lowe told the team’s official Web site. “I think the feeling is the same on the other side. If we were beating them it would bother them, too. Having played here and going through some of those wars and knowing the feeling of winning those games and then turning around and losing some of them, it frustrates me.”
Like the Tar Heels, the Wolfpack are hoping to build on a dramatic victory. They blew a 19-point lead against Miami on Tuesday night before freshman Julius Mays buried a straightaway 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds left in overtime to give them an 84-81 win.
Lowe knows N.C. State can’t afford to let up at all against North Carolina.
“I definitely see the team progressing and getting better,” Lowe said. “Now we’re trying to get over the hump and win some of those close ballgames, which we did the other night. I’ve seen some progression with our team and some maturity, but not quite where we need it to be.”
Hansbrough had 32 points and 12 rebounds in North Carolina’s 84-70 win in Raleigh last season, and is averaging 20.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in seven career games against N.C. State.
Just as North Carolina seemed to be back on track after an uncharacteristic start to conference play, it nearly suffered another ACC upset. Ty Lawson made sure that didn’t happen.
After leading his team to its fourth straight conference win with a late surge and a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, Lawson looks to help the fifth-ranked Tar Heels extend the streak as they visit North Carolina State on Saturday.
North Carolina (18-2, 4-2) spent all of November and December as the top-ranked team in the AP poll before losing its first two conference games for the first time since 1996-97.
The Tar Heels rebounded with three straight ACC victories by at least 17 points apiece, including a 94-70 rout of then-No. 10 Clemson that seemed to indicate they were back in early-season form. But they looked vulnerable again Wednesday night before Lawson came through late.
ADVERTISEMENT
The junior guard scored nine of his 21 points in the final 6:01 and made a running 3-pointer from the top of the arc at the buzzer to give North Carolina an 80-77 win over Florida State.
According to the team’s official Web site, it was the Tar Heels’ first win as time expired since Brendan Haywood made a putback against UNC-Charlotte on Dec. 12, 1998.
“I was supposed to go to halfcourt and get a timeout, but that wasn’t open. So Coach told me, if that didn’t happen, get the ball and just run with it,” Lawson said. “I saw there was one second on the clock and shot a floater. It went in luckily. I wasn’t sure.”
The Tar Heels won despite shooting 38.1 percent from the field, committing a season-high 21 turnovers and giving up 42 second-half points. They also overcame a rough night for reigning national Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough, who was held to a season-low eight points.
“How lucky we were,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “That’s the bottom line.”
The Tar Heels may need a better performance against the Wolfpack (11-7, 2-4), who are desperate to snap their four-game losing streak against their instate rivals.
N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe led his team to an 83-79 upset of then-No. 3 North Carolina in his first game in the rivalry Feb. 3, 2007. The Wolfpack have been outscored by an average of 18.3 points since then, and Lowe admits that’s been hard to swallow.
“You can’t hide that. It is what it is,” Lowe told the team’s official Web site. “I think the feeling is the same on the other side. If we were beating them it would bother them, too. Having played here and going through some of those wars and knowing the feeling of winning those games and then turning around and losing some of them, it frustrates me.”
Like the Tar Heels, the Wolfpack are hoping to build on a dramatic victory. They blew a 19-point lead against Miami on Tuesday night before freshman Julius Mays buried a straightaway 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds left in overtime to give them an 84-81 win.
Lowe knows N.C. State can’t afford to let up at all against North Carolina.
“I definitely see the team progressing and getting better,” Lowe said. “Now we’re trying to get over the hump and win some of those close ballgames, which we did the other night. I’ve seen some progression with our team and some maturity, but not quite where we need it to be.”
Hansbrough had 32 points and 12 rebounds in North Carolina’s 84-70 win in Raleigh last season, and is averaging 20.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in seven career games against N.C. State.
