No. 16 Clemson drops conference battle 65-55 to No. 8 UNC at home

Chase Hunter's 17-point performance and Ian Schieffelin's double-double were not enough for the Tigers in a 65-55 loss to No. 8 North Carolina Saturday afternoon at Littlejohn Coliseum.

RJ Davis and Armando Bacot led North Carolina in scoring with 14 points apiece, while Cormac Ryan added 10.

Bacot, a graduate forward and former five-star recruit, has 2,017 career points, fifth all-time in the North Carolina record books. Davis is the first Tar Heel to lead the ACC in scoring since Tyler Hansbrough, but Clemson held him seven points below his season average (21.1).

UNC was sharp from beyond the arc in the second half, hitting four three-pointers in five minutes. The Tigers struggled to shoot the long ball throughout the game and finished 1-18. Chase Hunter, PJ Hall, and Joseph Girard III went a combined 0-13 from distance.

"We were minus 21 from three; there's just no way to overcome that," Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said.

Clemson forward Ian Schieffelin was a bright spot for the Tigers in the loss. He dominated with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Georgia native also added five steals. Schieffelin recorded his fourth double-double of the season. Chase Hunter was efficient offensively, going 8-14 from the field and scoring 17 points. Though he fouled out late, PJ Hall was the third Tiger in double figures, finishing with 10 points.

Clemson held North Carolina, the No. 2 offense in the ACC, to 20 points below its season average.

"If you told me we would hold them to 65, I certainly would've taken that," Brownell said. "Today just wasn't our best day. It happens."

UNC moves to 3-0 in ACC play and breaks Clemson's six-game home win streak. The Tar Heels have won three of their last four games since losing back-to-back matchups against Connecticut and Kentucky in December.

Clemson drops to 1-2 in conference play after dropping ACC battles against Miami and UNC to start the new year. The Tigers move to 11-3 overall and have the nation's No. 5 strength of schedule.

North Carolina has won three consecutive games in the series against Clemson, leading 136-23 all-time. Clemson head coach Brad Brownell is 3-16 vs. North Carolina.

The Tigers return to action Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Virginia Tech with a chance to rebound after back-to-back losses in conference play.