CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Nick Davidson scored 17 points, and No. 5-seed Clemson nearly allowed an 18-point second-half lead to slip away before holding on to beat No. 4-seed North Carolina 80-79 on Thursday night in the 2026 T. Rowe Price ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament quarterfinals. 

Dillon Hunter had 14 points and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute for the Tigers (24-9), who had six players finish in double figures in scoring. 

Henri Veesaar had a mammoth game for the Tar Heels with 28 points and 17 rebounds, while Derek Dixon finished with 16 points, including three late 3s to help No. 19 North Carolina (24-8) climb back into the game. 

The Tigers seemed ready to cruise into the semifinals after building an 18-point lead with 11:36 left before the Tar Heels came storming back to cut the lead to 78-76 with 13 seconds left behind a barrage of 3-pointers from Veesaar and Dixon. 

Hunter made two free throws with 11.1 seconds left to make it a two-possession game before Dixon added yet another 3 with 3 seconds left. 

The Tar Heels fouled Davidson, who missed both free throws with 2.4 seconds. North Carolina’s Jarin Stevenson grabbed the rebound, but with the Tar Heels out of timeouts, he was forced to heave the ball from three-quarters court and it fell well short. 

Clemson shot 9-of-19 from beyond the 3-point line, with Davidson a perfect 4-for-4. 

The Tar Heels struggled to hit shots all night until the 3s started falling late. Dixon made three 3s and Veesaar two in the final 2:28. 

Clemson announced before the game that forward Carter Welling suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in Wednesday’s second-round win against Wake Forest when he collapsed to the court. 

Of Note 

• With the win, Clemson has recorded multiple wins in the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2008. 

• Clemson advanced to the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinals for the 16th time. In its previous 15 trips, the Tigers have a 2-13 record. 

• With the win, Clemson improved to 26-71 all-time in the ACC Tournament.  

• The victory was Clemson’s second-ever win over North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, improving to 2-15 all-time.  

• The semifinals will feature the No. 1, 2, 3 and 5 seeds for the second consecutive year and 15th time in tournament history.  

• Clemson became the 10th team in ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament history to have six players score in double figures in the same game. 

• Nick Davidson led the Tigers with 17 points after going a perfect 4-for-4 on 3-pointers. 

• Clemson finished with a 29-5 advantage in bench points.  

• North Carolina’s Henri Veesaar is the first player to log at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in an ACC Tournament game since March 8, 2018 (Duke’s Marvin Bagley III vs. Notre Dame; 33 points, 17 rebounds).