North Carolina held Boston College scoreless for the last 2:10 of overtime, finishing the game on a 6-0 run to narrowly win 102-96 and end a two-game losing streak on Saturday at the Smith Center.
After Boston College made 14 three-pointers, a season-high, North Carolina’s defense tightened up in the final minute of regulation and overtime to secure the victory in a high-scoring game.
Seth Trimble scored four points in the final 18.6 seconds of regulation to force overtime, and RJ Davis scored seven points in the extra period (matching BC’s seven points in overtime). The Tar Heels made all four of their field goals in overtime.
“We were locked in defensively for the last 18.6 seconds and in overtime,” said head coach Hubert Davis. “We got the stops, deflections, and steals we needed to get back in the game and win.”
Davis led the team with 22 points, shooting 6 for 11 from the field and 8 for 8 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed five rebounds and recorded five assists without any turnovers.
Trimble achieved his second career double-double, finishing with 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in 43 minutes, which was also a career-high.
“We were fortunate to get into overtime,” Trimble said. “We committed to winning. We were on our home court, and we don’t want to lose at home or in overtime. We locked in and got the stops we needed.”
Ian Jackson scored 19 points, including 15 in the second half. He made 8 of 13 shots, bouncing back after shooting just 4 for 18 in the previous two games. Jackson also hit 2 of 3 three-pointers.
Jalen Washington scored 18 points
Jalen Washington scored 12 points in the first half and finished with 18 points, matching his career high. He also had six rebounds (four offensive) and three assists. Washington’s performance helped the Tar Heels score a season-high 58 points in the paint.
North Carolina played well in the first half, shooting 58 percent from the field as a team, but they couldn’t shake off Boston College, who had lost five straight games before this matchup. UNC finished the game shooting 55.6 percent overall.
Boston College shot 55 percent in the first half, took its first lead in the final six minutes, and stretched it to a five-point lead after halftime. The Eagles made a season-high 14 three-pointers, shooting 58.3 percent (14 for 24).
“It took everybody on the court and on the bench,” RJ Davis said. “We persevered and fought until the end. We made crucial defensive stops and executed on offense. It was big for us.”
The win brought UNC’s record to 13-8, 6-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Boston College lost its sixth straight game, dropping to 9-11, 1-8.
UNC now holds a 24-9 all-time record against Boston College, including 22-5 since BC joined the ACC in 2005-06. The Tar Heels have won six straight and 18 of the last 19 games in the series.
Donald Hand Jr. scored 26 points for the Eagles, while Dion Brown added 20 before fouling out in the final minute of regulation.
UNC scored 100 points in an overtime game against an ACC opponent for the first time since beating Clemson 103-93 on February 19, 2008. Carolina is 6-1 all-time when scoring 100 points in overtime against ACC teams.
