Nick Davidson posted 17 points and 11 rebounds as fifth-seeded Clemson held on to upset No. 4 seed North Carolina 80-79 in the ACC tournament on Thursday night in Charlotte, N.C.
The Tar Heels (24-8), ranked No. 19, turn their attention to Selection Sunday to see their NCAA Tournament fate, while the Tigers (24-9) move on to face the top seed, No. 1 Duke, in Friday’s semifinals.
Derek Dixon’s 3-pointer on a Seth Trimble dish trimmed Clemson’s lead to one with 2.9 seconds to play, capping the Tar Heels’ late 21-7 late surge. North Carolina had a chance to win on the game’s final possession, but Jarin Stevenson’s heave from halfcourt was short.
Davidson was one of six Clemson players to score in double figures. Dillon Hunter scored 14 points, RJ Godfrey tallied 13, Ace Buckner notched 11 and Butta Johnson and Jestin Porter each had 10 points apiece.
In their second straight loss since freshman phenom Caleb Wilson was ruled out for the season with a hand injury, the Tar Heels were carried by Henri Veesaar’s career-high 28 points and 17 rebounds. Diixon scored 16 points, Jarin Stevenson added 12 and Trimble chipped in 13 points and eight assists. UNC shot 47.5% from the field and 36.7% from 3-point range.
Clemson led by as many as 18 and overtook the Tar Heels in the first half with a 19-5 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Buckner from the left wing on an assist from Godfrey. The Tigers had an eight-point advantage at the break and grew their lead with a 12-4 run, a surge punctuated by a deep 3-pointer from Davidson on a dime from Porter.
The Tigers managed without second-leading scorer and top rebounder Carter Welling, who tore his right ACL in Wednesday’s win over Wake Forest. He had been averaging 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Clemson shot 49.1% from the floor, 47.4% from 3-point land and turned the ball over just seven times.
