On Saturday afternoon inside the Dean Dome, the North Carolina Tar Heels were, once again, locked in a tight game during the final minute.
UNC welcomed Pitt to Chapel Hill for a rematch from two weeks ago, when the Panthers won 73-65. In that game, North Carolina led with under four minutes to go, only for Pitt to end things on a 9-0 run.
The Tar Heels nearly faced the same scenario on Saturday afternoon, but scored late and held off the Panthers for a 67-66 victory – in which coaches, players and fans alike breathed a collective sigh of relief.
UNC (14-10, 7-5) now turns its attention to Clemson for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Monday, February 10 inside Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers (19-5, 11-1) are fresh off an exciting win of their own, upsetting hated archrival Duke, 77-71, on Saturday in Clemson.
Historically, North Carolina dominates its rivalry with the Tigers, leading the all-time series 124-43. Clemson is closing that gap in recent years, though, with both teams splitting the past three matchups.
The Tar Heels boosted their NCAA Tournament hopes with a Quad 2 win over Pitt on Saturday, but could solidify their chances by upsetting Clemson. The Tigers look even better than last year’s Elite Eight squad, while UNC hasn’t lived to preseason hype.
North Carolina does have one thing going for it heading into Monday’s matchup: wins in its past two trips to the South Carolina’s upstate region.
What do the Tar Heels need to do in order to upset Clemson on Monday? What should you be looking out for? Keep reading below, as we take a deeper dive in our game preview.
Key to victory for UNC
I can think of a couple keys, but something that helped UNC on Saturday was its ability to close out Pitt. North Carolina held the visiting Panthers scoreless in the final two minutes, while RJ Davis’ late jumper gave his team the lead for good.
Clemson is a team that knows how to close out games itself, ending Saturday’s big upset win over Duke on a 7-0 run. Tigers superstar guard Chase Hunter scored six of those points, while big center Viktor Lahkin drained a free throw.
Clemson is definitely a better team than Pitt, so the Tar Heels will need to up their late-game intensity if locked in a tight battle. If UNC plays the final two minutes of Monday’s game, just like it did Saturday, you have every reason to believe there will be an upset in the Upstate.
Something to watch
It’s common to see teams endure the “hangover” effect after big wins. We witnessed it firsthand during the 2022 National Championship, when North Carolina lost a 15-point halftime lead against Kansas, a game two days after the Tar Heels ended Coach K’s career in the Final Four.
Clemson just earned its statement win against those same Blue Devils on Saturday – and fans rushed the court after, deservingly so. Did the Tigers spend all their energy? If so, can UNC take advantage?
Keep an eye on if the Tigers look sluggish Monday evening. It’s very possible – and with North Carolina in dire need of signature wins, expect a strong start from the visitors.
What you need to know
What: North Carolina Tar Heels (14-10, 7-5 ACC) at Clemson Tigers (19-5, 11-2)
When: Monday, February 10 at 7 p.m.
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, SC
Line: Clemson -6.5
Last Meeting: Clemson 80, UNC 76 on February 6, 2024 in Clemson
All-Time Series: UNC leads, 124-23
Statistical leaders
North Carolina Points: RJ Davis, G, 17.4 points per game
North Carolina Rebounds: Seth Trimble, G, 5.4 rebounds per game
North Carolina Assists: Elliot Cadeau, G, 6.0 assists per game
Clemson Points: Chase Hunter, G, 17.5 points per game
Clemson Rebounds: Ian Schieffelin, F, 9.5 rebounds per game
Clemson Assists: Jaeden Zackery, G, 3.1 assists per game
Full UNC basketball schedule
Oct. 12: Blue-White Scrimmage (Blue 62, White 53)
Oct. 15: Exhibition @ Memphis (W, 84-76)
Oct. 27: Exhibition vs. Johnson C. Smith (W, 127-63)
Nov. 4: vs. Elon (W, 90-76) (1-0, 0-0)
Nov. 8: at Kansas (L, 92-89) (1-1, 0-0)
Nov. 15: vs. American University (W, 108-55) (2-1, 0-0)
Nov. 22: at Hawaii (W, 87-69) (3-1, 0-0)
Nov. 25: vs. Dayton, Maui Invitational (W, 92-90) (4-1, 0-0)
Nov. 26: vs. Auburn, Maui Invitational (L, 85-72) (4-2, 0-0)
Nov. 27: vs. Michigan State, Maui Invitational (L, 94-90 OT) (4-3, 0-0)
Dec. 4: vs. Alabama, SEC/ACC Challenge (L, 94-79) (4-4, 0-0)
Dec. 7: vs. Georgia Tech (W, 68-65) (5-4, 1-0 ACC)
Dec. 14: vs. La Salle (W, 93-67) (6-4, 1-0)
Dec. 17: vs. Florida, Jumpman Invitational (L, 90-84) (6-5, 1-0)
Dec. 21: vs. UCLA, CBS Sports Classic (W, 76-74) (7-5, 1-0)
Dec. 29: vs. Campbell (W, 97-81) (8-5, 1-0)
Jan. 1: at Louisville (L, 83-70) (8-6, 1-1)
Jan. 4: at Notre Dame (W, 74-73) (9-6, 2-1)
Jan. 7: vs. SMU (W, 82-67) (10-6, 3-1)
Jan. 11: at NC State (W, 63-61) (11-6, 4-1)
Jan. 15: vs. California (W, 79-53) (12-6, 5-1)
Jan. 18: vs. Stanford (L, 72-71) (12-7, 5-2)
Jan. 21: at Wake Forest (L, 67-66) (12-8, 5-3)
Jan. 25: vs. Boston College (W, 102-96) (13-8, 6-3)
Jan. 28: at Pitt (L, 73-65) (13-9, 6-4)
Feb. 1: at Duke (L, 87-70) (13-10, 6-5)
Feb. 8: vs. Pitt (W, 67-66) (14-10, 7-5)
Feb. 10: at Clemson
Feb. 15: at Syracuse
Feb. 19: vs. NC State
Feb. 22: vs. Virginia
Feb. 24: at Florida State
March 1: vs. Miami (FL)
March 4: at Virginia Tech
March 8: vs. Duke
March 11-15: ACC Tournament (Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC)
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC-Clemson ACC basketball preview for February 10 clash in Clemson
