RJ Davis rallies North Carolina past No. 18 UCLA 76-74 in CBS Sports Classic
North Carolina comes up clutch down the stretch to beat UCLA
North Carolina gets clutch free throws and a couple stops late to down UCLA.
NEW YORK -- — RJ Davis made the tying and go-ahead free throws with 13 seconds left, and North Carolina erased a 16-point deficit for a 76-74 victory over No. 18 UCLA on Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Davis scored 17 points and gave the Tar Heels (7-5) their first lead since the opening minutes. Ian Jackson scored a career-high 24 points. Seth Trimble added 12 and forced a UCLA turnover that set up the free throws by Davis as North Carolina outscored UCLA 33-15 over the final 12-plus minutes and shot 46.8%.
Tyler Bilodeau tied a career high with 26 points but the Bruins (10-2) had a nine-game winning streak stopped. Sebastian Mack added 22 for UCLA, which shot 49.1%.
The Tar Heels forged a 72-all tie with 1:32 left on a basket by Jalen Washington. After Bilodeau missed a 3, Mack hit two free throws for a 74-72 lead with 48 seconds left. Davis made one free throw to trim it to a point, and after Trimble forced a turnover on Dylan Andrews, Davis hit two more for a 75-74 edge.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels overcame a season high-tying 18 turnovers.
UCLA: Bilodeau entered the game shooting 35.5% from 3 and made his first five attempts before his critical miss.
The Bruns led 59-45 when Bilodeau was forced to the bench with his fourth foul with 11:45 remaining. The Tar Heels went on a 20-9 run until Bilodeau returned with 5:15 left and trailed 68-65.
North Carolina withstood missing 11 of 35 free throws.
North Carolina hosts Campbell on Dec. 29 in its final non-conference game before continuing ACC play. UCLA faces No. 13 Gonzaga next Saturday in the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers in Inglewood.
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This story has been corrected to show that RJ Davis scored 17 points. A previous version said he had 16.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Michael Greenstein
- Roger Ayers
- Eric Curry
2024-25 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 19-1 | - | 35-4 |
| Clemson | 18-2 | 1 | 27-7 |
| Louisville | 18-2 | 1 | 27-8 |
| SMU | 13-7 | 6 | 24-11 |
| Wake Forest | 13-7 | 6 | 21-11 |
| North Carolina | 13-7 | 6 | 23-14 |
| Stanford | 11-9 | 8 | 21-14 |
| Georgia Tech | 10-10 | 9 | 17-17 |
| Florida State | 8-12 | 11 | 17-15 |
| Pittsburgh | 8-12 | 11 | 17-15 |
| Virginia | 8-12 | 11 | 15-17 |
| Notre Dame | 8-12 | 11 | 15-18 |
| Virginia Tech | 8-12 | 11 | 13-19 |
| Syracuse | 7-13 | 12 | 14-19 |
| California | 6-14 | 13 | 14-19 |
| NC State | 5-15 | 14 | 12-19 |
| Boston College | 4-16 | 15 | 12-19 |
| Miami | 3-17 | 16 | 7-24 |
2024-25 Big Ten Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 17-3 | - | 30-7 |
| Maryland | 14-6 | 3 | 27-9 |
| Michigan | 14-6 | 3 | 27-10 |
| Wisconsin | 13-7 | 4 | 27-10 |
| UCLA | 13-7 | 4 | 23-11 |
| Purdue | 13-7 | 4 | 24-12 |
| Oregon | 12-8 | 5 | 25-10 |
| Illinois | 12-8 | 5 | 22-13 |
| Indiana | 10-10 | 7 | 19-13 |
| Ohio State | 9-11 | 8 | 17-15 |
| Rutgers | 8-12 | 9 | 15-17 |
| Nebraska | 7-13 | 10 | 21-14 |
| Northwestern | 7-13 | 10 | 17-16 |
| Iowa | 7-13 | 10 | 17-16 |
| USC | 7-13 | 10 | 17-18 |
| Minnesota | 7-13 | 10 | 15-17 |
| Penn State | 6-14 | 11 | 16-15 |
| Washington | 4-16 | 13 | 13-18 |
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