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Last-minute run rallies UNC past Vols

 
North Carolina guard Joel Berry II (2) is defended under the basket by Tennessee forward Kyle Alexander (11) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Crystal LoGiudice) TNCL102
North Carolina guard Joel Berry II (2) is defended under the basket by Tennessee forward Kyle Alexander (11) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Crystal LoGiudice) TNCL102
Published Dec. 17, 2017

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — North Carolina passed the kind of road challenge it wanted to face before starting Atlantic Coast Conference competition.

Kenny Williams sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 35 seconds left as the seventh-ranked Tar Heels rallied past No. 20 Tennessee 78-73 Sunday.

It was the first game North Carolina (10-1) played all season that was decided by a single-digit margin. Even its lone loss was a 63-45 blowout against No. 2 Michigan State.

"This will be good for us," Williams said. "Every game in the ACC is like that. To have this experience and know we can pull it out, I think it will come in handy down the road."

UNC went on a 9-0 run in the final minute to win for the fifth straight time and end Thompson-Boling Arena's hex on defending national champions.

Tennessee (7-2) had won the past five times it had hosted a defending champion, a string that included victories over Connecticut (January 2012), Florida (February 2007 and February 2008) and Kentucky (February 1999 and February 2013).

"We always say we need a game like this to help us later on down the road," said North Carolina's Joel Berry, who scored 21. "We hadn't had a game like this. For us to be able to thrive in this situation and be able to get the momentum back on our side was a great thing. It was all about the defensive end. We got stops."

Luke Maye and Williams added 15 points each for North Carolina. Grant Williams scored 15 to lead five Tennessee players in double figures.

NO. 5 ARIZ. ST. 76, VANDY 64: Tra Holder scored 25, Shannon Evans added 15 and the host Sun Devils (10-0) used a 26-3 run spanning halftime to overcome a dismal start that put them in a 13-0 hole.

Women: Bulls roll

FORT LAUDERDALE — Laia Flores scored a career-high 19 on 7-of-9 shooting, Maria Jespersen had a double double and No. 22 USF rolled to an 82-52 win over Florida International.

Jespersen had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Laura Ferreira scored 16 for the Bulls (9-2), who made 15 of 15 free throws.

USF had no problem despite a subpar performance from Kitija Laska, who missed all seven 3-pointers and was 2-of-11 overall for four points. Laksa had made a 3 in 25 straight games and at least two in her past 18 and was coming off a 40-point performance in which she set an NCAA record by making 11 straight 3s. She leads the country with 4.9 3-pointers a game.

NO. 8 TEXAS 87, NO. 12 FSU 72: Brooke McCarty returned from a hip injury to score a season-high 24, and the host Longhorns (9-1) overcame an 11-point first-quarter deficit to rally past the Seminoles (10-1).

NO. 2 N. DAME 91, DEPAUL 82: Jessica Shepard scored a career-high 39, and the host Irish (10-1) withstood 13-of-36 3-point shooting by the Blue Demons.

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NO. 3 L'VILLE 87, KENTUCKY 63: Asia Durr scored 32, Myisha Hines-Allen added 18 and the visiting Cardinals (13-0) outscored the Wildcats 24-9 in the second quarter in the annual Bluegrass rivalry showdown.

No. 4 S.C. 99, Savannah St. 38: A'ja Wilson scored 26 for the host Gamecocks (10-1), who announced before the game that senior point guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore will miss the season with an ACL injury. South Carolina also lost junior guard Doniyah Cliney to a foot injury in the first half.

NO. 5 MISS. ST. 83, MAINE 43: Teaira McCowan had 18 points and 11 rebounds in her seventh double double of the season, and the host Bulldogs (11-0) shot 50 percent or better for the second straight game, hitting 31 of 62 shots.

NO. 7 TENN. 90, LBSU 61: Anastasia Hayes and Meme Jackson scored 15 each for the visiting Vols, who outrebounded Long Beach State 62-30 and improved to 11-0 for the first time since winning their first 18 in 2005-06.

NO. 9 OREGON 90, OLE MISS: Sabrina Ionescu tied an NCAA record with her seventh career triple double, posting 21 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds for the host Ducks (9-2).