Villanova Edges Tar Heels In OT, 83-81

Thursday, November 23

Paradise Island, Bahamas

2:30 PM

North Carolina

4-1,0-0ACC

Villanova

5-1,0-0Big East

OT 1

Villanova

North Carolina

Cormac Ryan

Photo by: Maggie Hobson

November 23, 2023 | Men's Basketball

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By: Matt Bowers

PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS—Villanova got 34 points from Eric Dixon and edged No. 14 North Carolina, 83-81, in overtime on Thursday afternoon in a semifinal of the Battle 4 Atlantis at Imperial Arena at the Atlantis resort.

RJ Davis scored 23 points for the Tar Heels, Harrison Ingram had a season-high 20 and Cormac Ryan added a season-high 18.

Villanova improves to 5-1 with the win and advances to the final of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Friday. Carolina falls to 4-1 and will play Arkansas in the third-place game on Friday at 1 p.m.

After Ingram fouled out with 3:43 remaining in the game on an offensive foul with Villanova leading, 66-63, the Tar Heels gritted out the last few minutes until Ryan hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 68 with 34.4 seconds left. After a Dixon miss from three, the Tar Heels hurried upcourt for a timeout with 3.3 seconds left before a Davis miss at the buzzer sent it to overtime.

The Wildcats hit 9 of 10 free throws in OT to grab the win.

Carolina's defense held Villanova to 38.3 percent shooting in the game, but the Wildcats were 32 for 36 at the line (88.9 percent) while UNC attempted just 23 free throws.

Early on, Carolina used a 13-0, first-half run to build a nine-point lead at 27-18 but allowed the Wildcats to claw back to within 34-32 at halftime behind 20 first-half points from Dixon. Ingram paced the Tar Heels with 13 points, including 3 of 4 three-pointers, in the opening half.

How It Happened
First Half
• After a relatively slow start offensively for both teams, Carolina went on a 13-0 run to take a 27-18 lead in the final five minutes of the half.
• The Wildcats cut it to 34-32 at the break, converting eight first-half Tar Heel turnovers into 11 points.
• The Tar Heel defense limited the Wildcats to 9 of 25 shooting (36.0 percent) in the first half.
• UNC out-rebounded Villanova, 20-14, in the opening 20 minutes, allowing just three Wildcat offensive boards before halftime.
• Ingram had 13 points on 4 of 5 shooting (3 of 4 from three-point range) with two rebounds in the first half.
• Carolina hit 5 of 12 first-half three-point attempts for 41.7 percent.
• Armando Bacot had two points on 1 for 3 shooting in the first half.

Second Half
• Ingram fouled out with 3:43 remaining, finishing with 20 points on 6 of 8 shooting. He was 4 of 5 from three-point range and 4 for 6 from the free throw line.

Postgame Tidbits & Notes
• In the first meeting between UNC and Villanova since the 2016 NCAA championship game in Houston, the Tar Heels now lead the all-time series, 11-6.
• Graduate transfer Jae'Lyn Withers made his first start as a Tar Heel and grabbed seven rebounds.
• Bacot grabbed 18 rebounds for his UNC-record 78th career double-figure rebounding performance and 24th game with 15 or more boards.
• The game featured 19 ties and 23 lead changes.
• Carolina is 4-3 all-time in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Up Next
UNC will return to action on Friday against Arkansas in the third-place game of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Paradise Island.