CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Armando Bacot scored 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, RJ Davis hit four 3-pointers and finished with 19 points and North Carolina held on to beat Michigan 80-76 Wednesday night.
Caleb Love added 18 points, including four free throws in the closing seconds, for North Carolina.
The Tar Heels (9-4), who were coming off an 89-84 overtime win over then-No. 23 Ohio State on Saturday, have won four games in row.
Kobe Bufkin led Michigan (7-4) with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Jett Howard made 6 of 12 from the field and finished with 17 points.
Bacot scored inside, Love followed with a 3-pointer and Bacot converted a three-point play that gave UNC the lead for good with 4:09 left in the first half. Davis added two 3s, the latter of which capped an 18-4 run that made it 41-32 with 59 seconds remaining.
North Carolina shot 50% (29 of 58) from the field and scored 40 points in the paint.
Davis hit a 3-pointer before Pete Nance was fouled as he threw down a dunk and made the and-1 free throw to give UNC an nine-point lead with 5:45 to play. The Wolverines scored 11 of the next 15 points — including 3s by Joey Baker and Terrance Williams II — to trim their deficit to 73-71 when Bufkin made a jumper with 1:23 to play. Davis answered with a runner off the glass 34 seconds later and Michigan got no closer.
UP NEXT
Michigan returns home to play Dec. 30 against Central Michigan
North Carolina hits the road to resume ACC play at Pitt on Dec. 30
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