
UNC comeback falls short as Clemson edges past in ACC quarterfinals
North Carolina’s bid to ride momentum into the NCAA Tournament hit a snag as Clemson held on for an 80-79 win in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. The Tar Heels trailed by 18 in the second half but a late surge led by Henri Veesaar, who finished with a career-high 28 points and 17 rebounds, pulled UNC within one in the final seconds before Jarin Stevenson’s last-second heave missed. Clemson’s bench outscored UNC 29-5 and the Tigers maintained better physicality throughout the game. UNC, now 24-8, heads to the NCAA Tournament after back-to-back losses, while dealing with injuries to Caleb Wilson (recently broke a right-hand thumb) and center Carter Welling (torn ACL).







