For the second straight day, North Carolina overcame a double-digit deficit with a thrilling late rally to beat Clemson 92-87 in overtime Saturday afternoon. The Tar Heels, playing in front of what was essentially a home crowd, overcame a 14-point deficit and were led yet again by Harrison Barnes who put up 40 points and eight rebounds, the most points ever for a freshman in the ACC Tournament. Tyler Zeller only had 14 points but hit a game-tying hook shot with 32 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
Demontez Stitt had a career-high 25 points in the loss. The Tigers shot 50.8% from the field but connected on only 9-of-16 free throws. SB Nation's Bracketology lists Clemson as one of the next four in, and the close overtime loss to North Carolina most likely solidifies their spot in the tournament.
North Carolina advances and will face the winner of Duke and Virginia Tech in tomorrow's championship game. Just think, how good would North Carolina be if they could play for a full 40 minutes?
For more on these two teams, head to Shakin The Southland and Carolina March.
Updated ACC tournament bracket (all times EST):
Thursday, March 10 - First Round
No. 9 Miami def. No. 8 Virginia Cavaliers, 69-62
No. 5 Boston College def. No. 12 Wake Forest, 81-67
No. 7 Maryland def. No. 10 NC State, 75-67
No. 6 Virginia Tech def. No. 11 Georgia Tech, 59-43
Friday, March 11 - Quarterfinals
No. 1 North Carolina def. Miami, 61-59
No. 4 Clemson def. Boston College, 70-47
No. 2 Duke def. Maryland, 87-71
Virginia Tech def. No. 3 Florida State, 52-51
Saturday, March 12 - Semifinals
UNC def. Clemson, 92-87 (OT)
Duke vs. Virginia Tech, 3 p.m., ACC Network/ESPN
Sunday, March 13 - Championship
UNC vs. Duke/Virginia Tech, 1 p.m., ACC Network/ESPN
For more on other college basketball tournaments, visit SB Nation's NCAA Basketball hub.