CHAPEL HILL - There were extra Clemson followers for Tuesday night's Atlantic Coast Conference game against North Carolina at the Dean Smith Center and that didn't set to well with the Tar Heel players.
With the Tigers entering Tuesday night's game having never won in 58 previous trips to Chapel Hill, UNC coach Roy Williams told his players that the Tigers had requested extra tickets, presumably so more Tiger fans could see history made - the first Clemson victory over a UNC team in Chapel Hill.
"It kind of ticked us off,” UNC senior Joel Berry said after the 15th-ranked Tar Heels continued one of the most mind-boggling streaks in NCAA history with an 87-79 victory over No. 20 Clemson. "It kind of fired us up and ticked us off."
Cameron Johnson had his biggest game in a North Carolina uniform with 21 points as the Tar Heels, who saw all but two points of an 18-point second-half lead disappear, received clutch shooting from Berry, an injured Luke Maye and Johnson to withstand a furious rally by the Tigers, who made 15 consecutive shots at one point.
The win lifts UNC to 4-2 in ACC play and 15-4 overall, while the Tigers slip to 4-2 and 15-3. North Carolina is 59-0 all-time in home games against Clemson, the most home wins without a loss for any team against another opponent in NCAA history.
"It was very important," said UNC's Johnson, who missed the first 11 games of the season with neck and knee injuries. "Anytime you have something as historic as this, it's impressive and you don't want to be the one who loses it."
Thanks to Johnson and some hot shooting by the Tar Heels - 65 percent shooting in the second half, their second-highest percentage in a half this season - UNC was able to turn the Tigers back for the 10th straight time and for the 20th time in the past 21 contests. UNC is 132-20 against the Tigers all time.
"I really didn't think about the streak the whole game," said UNC senior Theo Pinson, one of five UNC players in double-figure scoring with 12 points. "They were 4-1 in the ACC and a really good team. But it is definitely a relief knowing I won't be a part of the team that sees it end."
Because of Clemson's incredible shooting at the start of the second half, the streak almost did end. After a Johnson 3-pointer extended UNC's lead to 41-23, the Tigers connected on 15 straight shots from the floor, including seven 3-pointers, as Clemson closed to within 61-59 with 9:33 to play. Marcquise Reed and Elijah Thomas led the spurt as Reed had 15 points and Thomas seven in the run.
“I started the season at 67 and going to end the season at 97,” said Roy Williams, who earned his 831st career win, moving him past Jim Phelan for seventh all-time in wins by a Division I coach.
With Maye, who was playing with five stitches on the side of his nose after a meeting with the elbow of teammate Kenny Williams late in the first half, scoring a couple of key buckets and Berry adding a key 3-pointer, the Heels were able to keep Clemson at bay. The Tigers closed to within 81-77 after a basket by Reed with under 1 minute to play, but Kenny Williams slipped behind the Clemson defense for a layup and Clemson never got closer.
The Tar Heels hit five 3-point baskets in the first 13 minutes on the way to a 38-23 halftime lead. North Carolina, aided by eight points from Kenny Williams in the first six minutes, broke out to an 18-5 lead with a 13-0 run.
"Give North Carolina credit," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. "They were ready to play. It's one of their better shooting teams. Cam Johnson is a great addition. I don't think we played very well. We started the game poorly with careless turnovers. We were down and we pouted a bit based on our poor offense and never defended like we were playing a good team."
UNC finished with 15 3-pointers, the fifth most in any game in UNC history and the second most this season (16 vs. WCU). Johnson had a career-best tying six 3-pointers, the second time he recorded six 3-pointers in one game at the Dean Smith Center. While playing for Pittsburgh last season, he nailed six 3-pointers against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.
Johnson had 21 points, Berry had 17 and Kenny Williams 15. Pinson had 12 points and May 11. It was the first time all season all five starters scored in double figures.
Reed finished with 21 points for the Tigers, while Shelton Mitchell had 18 and Thomas 16.