UNC Fends Off Syracuse in an Overtime Win

Chapel Hill, NC – Brady Manek dropped 22 points in a tightly contested battle against the Orange in the Dean Smith Center.

Syracuse (15-15) held their own against the Heels, looking for a road win after taking the L to Duke and Notre Dame. This is a huge win for UNC(22-8, 14-5 ACC) as they clinched the number four seed and a double bye in the ACC Tournament. 

Brady Manek: 22 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST

Armando Bacot: 17 PTS, 18 REB, 2 AST

Caleb Love: 21 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST

Carolina had 21 assists, which tied for the second-most this season, and they were moving the ball with ease. Syracuse dropped into a zone for most of the game, leaving passing lanes wide open. Leaky Black led the Heels with 7 assists and found gaps in the zone for Brady Manek to get easy looks. 

Armando Bacot was also finding easy looks, especially in transition. But he found his calling on the glass, tallying up 18 boards for his second straight game, setting UNC records both times. This is the sixth time Bacot has had 18 or more rebounds this season. Bacot tied his career-high with nine offensive rebounds after he did so last month against Virginia. 

After pulling away in overtime to earn a decisive victory, the Carolina Tar Heels will square off in a historic battle against the Blue Devils for Coach K’s last game in Cameron Stadium on Saturday, 6 pm on ESPN. Tickets for this highly anticipated matchup are skyrocketing, with the lowest prices starting at a whopping $1,900, as loyal fans on both sides are eager to see Coach K’s farewell.