North Carolina Tar Heels vs Tennessee Volunteers Match Player Stats On Dec 17, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 17, 2017

Kenny Williams hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with less than a minute to play, and No. 7 North Carolina came from behind to nip No. 20 Tennessee 78-73 Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.

Joel Berry II scored 21 points, and Williams finished with 15 for the Tar Heels (10-1), who have won five straight games since losing to No. 4 Michigan State on Nov. 27.

Tennessee (7-2), which led for the majority of the game, went cold down the stretch and had its four-game winning streak snapped by the Tar Heels.

With the Volunteers leading 68-67 with 1:24 to play, Tennessee's Admiral Schofield created a turnover off an inbounds play. The Volunteers capitalized with a tough, driving layup by Grant Williams to extend their lead back to three.

Berry hit two free throws on North Carolina's ensuing possession to draw the Tar Heels back within one.

After a Tennessee turnover caused by the Tar Heels' press, Kenny Williams hit his go-ahead 3-pointer from the left wing to put North Carolina up 72-70 with 32.7 seconds to play.

Schofield missed a pull-up jumper on Tennessee's next possession, and Theo Pinson hit four clinching free throws in the final seconds to seal the win.

North Carolina chipped away at the Tennessee lead early in the second and was down 61-60 after a Kenny Williams free throw with eight minutes to play.

Jordan Bowden got free on the left wing off an offensive rebound on the Vols' next possession and knocked down a 3-pointer, but Tennessee could not distance itself from the Tar Heels. The Volunteers went the next six-plus minutes without a field goal.

Grant Williams finished with 15 points, and Bowden added 12 points for Tennessee.

Senior guard James Daniel III came off the bench to spark the Vols in the first half. Daniel's third 3-pointer of the first half put Tennessee up 29-23 with 8:27 to play.

Tennessee led 38-32 at halftime, behind 11 points from Daniel.

Luke Maye added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Tar Heels.

NOTES: UNC F Luke Maye leads the Tar Heels in scoring, rebounding (10.5), blocks (11) and minutes (31.3). ... Saturday's game was the 11th all-time meeting between North Carolina and Tennessee. ... North Carolina returns home to host Wofford and Ohio State, before opening ACC play against Wake Forest on Dec. 30. ... Tennessee hots Furman on Wednesday.