CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Caleb Wilson scored 20 points, Jarin Stevenson added all 17 in the second half and No. 22 North Carolina beat No. 14 Virginia 85-80 Saturday for a big ACC road victory.
Trailing by two with 3:50 left, Carolina got three-point plays from Stevenson and Seth Trimble to take a 78-74 lead, then held on. The Tar Heels outscored the Cavaliers 18-9 over the final 5:25.
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Thijs DeRidder had 20 points and seven rebounds for UVA, which had its 11-game home winning streak snapped.
Virginia led by 16 in the first half and went into the locker room with a 43-34 lead. That lead was due, in part, to a 26-16 rebounding advantage that helped the Cavaliers score 14 second-chance points in the first 20 minutes.
But the Tar Heels rallied after the break, running a crisp, efficient attack and taking their first lead since the game’s opening minutes on a Stevenson dunk with 11:57 remaining. That put UNC up 59-58. They would advance to five.
Virginia tied the score on a tough baseline layup from Chance Mallory, making it 67 with 7:58 left. He took the lead less than a minute later on a DeRidder basket, then held on for his second victory against a ranked opponent this season.
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The Tar Heels beat then-No. 20 Louisville, on the road, earlier this month.
To be continued
North Carolina: The Tar Heels travel to Georgia Tech next Saturday.
Virginia: The Cavaliers play at Notre Dame on Tuesday.
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