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FORT WORTH, TX – North Carolina didn’t want to go home. It was that simple.
The Tar Heels had just watched defending national champion Baylor storm back from a 25-point deficit over the final 10:08 of regulation, and with Dickies Arena on fire and the Heels having just fully melted down, the outcome appeared inevitable.
Brady Manek, who scored 17 points over the first 9:52 of the second half, was ejected for a controversial flagrant two foul. Caleb Love fouled out with 6:15 left, and Armando Bacot found a way to make it through regulation with four fouls.
The Bears were supposed to complete their improbable comeback, which would have been the biggest blown lead in a defeat in UNC history. But it didn’t happen. The patchwork Tar Heels bound together and prevailed, escaping with a 93-86 victory in overtime, earning the program its 35th trip to the Sweet 16.
“I didn't want to go home,” Sophomore guard RJ Davis said. “I mean, there was no time to be tired. When we was going to go to overtime, I knew what was at stake. And we all wanted to win.”
Davis became the first player in UNC history to have 10-plus assists in one NCAA Tournament game and score 30 points in the next. His want was there from the opening tip. He scored Carolina’s first eight points and got the team into an amazing groove as it built what appeared to be an insurmountable lead.
Only that it wasn’t.
Baylor used the sense of urgency of a defending national champion and an effective full-court press to rattle the Tar Heels. Carolina turned over the ball 10 times over the final 10 minutes and was 4-for-9 from the field.
It was such a wild scenario for UNC that only one starter scored a basket over that final stretch, and that was when Armando Bacot converted a layup and free throw with 38 seconds left giving the Heels an 80-74 lead. Dontrez Styles had two layups and Puff Johnson another in that span.
Baylor sent the game into overtime getting a three from Jeremy Sochan, the source of great frustration by the Tar Heels given his nature on the court, and a conventional three-point play by James Akinjo with 16 seconds to play.
But Hubert Davis calmed his team in the huddle after the end of regulation.
“Just stay together, make plays, and not get too rattled,” RJ Davis said, relaying what the message was by the first-year Carolina coach. “I think that's what we were able to do in overtime. It was more about staying together, gathering the rebounds, and just making plays towards the end of the stretch.”
Carolina settled down, and perhaps Baylor’s sense of urgency dropped, allowing for UNC to work more at ease.
And with a lineup that included freshman wing Styles playing nine more minutes than his previous season-high, and McKoy playing 10 minutes despite entering the game for the first time with 4:45 remaining in regulation, the Tar Heels managed to pull out the win.
Styles hit a three, Bacot sank three free throws, Leaky Black converted a tough two-footer over the high reach of a Baylor defender, Davis had a conventional three-point play, and McKoy drained a pair of free throws with 3.9 seconds left to salt away the game.
“None of us wanted to go home,” Bacot said. “We don't want to leave. I don't want to leave my brothers. And it was a tough last five minutes in overtime. And, I mean, all year, we've just been hearing different things about us, how we're a soft team, how don't like to fight.
“And today, I think, we really showed that we can fight and to persevere in a moment like that and just come together. I'm just so proud and glad we won.”
And with that, the Tar Heels (26-9) move on to the Sweet 16 where they await the winner of the UCLA-St. Mary’s game in Philadelphia on Friday night in the East Region semifinals. This is the third time as an eight seed UNC has defeated a No. 1 seed in the second round, it was also its ninth win over a No. 1 seed.
“We wanted to get to the next round,” RJ Davis said.
And they earned that right.
