Carolina Comes Back to Beat Clemson 103-93 in Double Overtime Thriller

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Carolina Comes Back to Beat Clemson 103-93 in Double Overtime Thriller

By Samantha Newman

Feb 11, 2008

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The North Carolina locker room was unusually quiet during halftime Sunday night. The Tar Heels were looking at an 11-point deficit against the Clemson Tigers, and Danny Green said most of the players sat in silence.

Not Quentin Thomas, however.

The senior guard told his teammates to keep their heads up, that there was still a chance. And Thomas then backed up his words.

His drive at the end of regulation sent the game into extra minutes. And with 38 seconds remaining in the first overtime, Thomas swished two free throws to give the Tar Heels the boost they needed to finish off the Tigers 103-93 in double overtime.

“It always feels good when you can contribute to any win, but especially a win like this,” Thomas said. “Everybody stepped up.”

Thomas recorded only six points, but each came when UNC needed it. Early in the second half, his basket off a Clemson turnover sparked a 7-0 Tar Heel run.

But it was more than Q’s shooting that helped North Carolina to its late rally. The Tar Heels couldn’t find a rhythm in the first half. They committed five turnovers before they attempted their first field goal, and at halftime UNC had thrown the ball away 13 times with only six assists.

UNC coach Roy Williams noted that his team seemed timid and tentative when it got in a hole early on.

Behind Thomas, the Tar Heels’ ball protection improved significantly after the break. In the last 30 minutes of play, North Carolina committed only seven turnovers, limiting the Tigers’ ability to cash in on fast breaks.

“It was a tough win for us,” Danny Green said. “I think it’s going to help us in the long run…It shows a lot of heart and just the competitiveness that this team has.”

For the second straight game, a high ankle sprain forced point guard Ty Lawson to watch his team from the sidelines. Clemson pressed aggressively in the first half to exploit his absence, and the Tar Heels struggled to break loose.

But down the stretch, UNC calmed down. Thomas dribbled past defenders with determination and found open white jerseys on the other end for a career-high nine assists.

“He’s having more confidence in himself,” Danny Green said. “We always have confidence in him, it’s just that he’s stepping up big for us. We don’t have Ty right now, and he’s filling in and doing a great job.”

As the Tar Heels started to climb back, the offense seemed to slide into place. After more than 40 minutes of playing catchup, North Carolina took its first lead when Tyler Hansbrough scored the first basket of overtime.

But UNC needed stops on the defensive end. Clemson guard Cliff Hammonds lit up for 31 points during regulation, including a 3-pointer to put the Tigers up 82-77 with just more than a minute remaining.

It was the last time he would score. Thomas stepped up in overtime, stifling Hammonds’ shooting opportunities and making some big plays of his own.

“You also have to be awfully proud of Quentin Thomas,” Williams said. “The adversity the youngster has faced and then he steps up to the free throw line and makes both free throws to tie the game at ninety.”

Thomas’ playing time has increased dramatically since Lawson’s injury. He said he felt fatigued after staying on the court for 45 minutes, but he knew he had to fight through it.

He won’t get much rest before his next outing, either, as the Tar Heels head to Virginia on Tuesday. Williams said its unlikely Lawson will play against the Cavaliers.

But while it wasn’t exactly a buzzer-beater, Thomas showed his heroics down the stretch and his ability to lead his team on and off the court.

“He stepped up big for us tonight,” Hansbrough said. “(He was) just telling guys to step it up. We can’t be playing like this, especially in the first half, and I think he lifted us all.”

Most Recent Comments

i don't mind giving credit where it's due...even if it is unc. they could have easily given up but green hit 2 clutch 3 pointers and they stepped up their press and half court defense. i believe clemson could maybe be a contender in the ACC for a top 3 position if they had a better coach. they have good athletic players that play well together but somehow they always come up short.

dukeblue....I agree...Clemson played a great game but Carolina never gave up. That is what I like about them. I think us Tarheels do not play as well as I have seen them play...The fact remains they WON!!

the fouls were pretty much one-sided in this game but that's not what lost the game for clemson. unc kept hustling and clemson just fell apart. i mean really, how many double teams did clemson dribble into and pick up their dribble during the last 90 seconds? clemson has good athletes...i just have doubts about their coaching.

Can I sneek in a final thought for tonight? Everything that Carolina has been through this season, overcoming double digit deficits, playing and winning without key players, wins in overtime. Those are all character builders. How many times has a team that "should have won" lost or vice versa in the NCAA tourney because they had or had not successfully climbed those mountains in the regulat season? Don't forget the '05 team's last bad loss was in the ACC tourney, but they managed to pull things together quite nicely.

One reporter asked Purnell if he was concerned about that discrepancy.

“I haven’t had a chance to look at the game yet,” he said. “My first thought is we weren’t physical enough, we didn’t get it inside enough. That’s my first thought, but let me look at the tape.”

Also-If Clemson would have made more front ends of their 1 and 1's, they would have had close to double their free throw attempts.

Get over it cry babies.

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