Sun Jan 6 22:44:34 2008

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Ellington's three lifts No. 1 UNC over Clemson in OT

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Clemson, SC (Sports Network) - Wayne Ellington hit a three-pointer with less than a second remaining in overtime to complete a career-high 36-point night, as top-ranked North Carolina escaped with a 90-88 victory over 19th-ranked Clemson in a frenetically paced ACC opener at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Clemson freshman point guard Demontez Stitt hit a pair of free throws with 13.9 seconds remaining to put the Tigers up, 89-88, and Carolina immediately called timeout. But an ugly offensive set forced Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams to use another timeout - his last - with 5.4 seconds remaining, and allowed him to set up the game-winner.

Ty Lawson received the inbounds pass and sliced inside the three-point line, then kicked to the left wing for Ellington. Clemson's David Potter was caught gambling for the steal, leaving Ellington a clean look, which he buried to the dismay of the raucous Clemson crowd with four-tenths of a second left.

Ellington finished the night 11-for-19 from the floor - 5-for-8 from beyond the arc - and 9-of-9 from the free-throw line, picking up the slack for a neutralized Tyler Hansbrough. Hansbrough got off just seven field goal attempts on the night, though he did finish with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Lawson finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Tar Heels (15-0, 1-0 ACC), who recovered from a seven-point deficit in the final four minutes of regulation to make the overtime period necessary.

K.C. Rivers had a team-high 24 points for Clemson (12-2, 0-1), while Trevor Booker had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Booker and James Mays, who finished with nine points and eight rebounds, were responsible for the constant harassment Hansbrough received on the defensive end before Booker fouled out early in overtime.

Hammonds' lay-in with under four minutes to go in regulation pushed the Clemson lead back to 81-74, but Ellington canned a three from the right wing to bring UNC back within four. Then, with 1:44 on the clock, Rivers missed on the front end of a one-and-one, and Green made it hurt by hitting a wide-open three at the other end to trim the lead to 81-80.

Stitt missed on a drive, and Hansbrough grabbed an offensive board on the other end and was fouled with just under a minute to go. He hit one-of-two to tie the game, then took a charge from Rivers to give the Heels the ball with 47.6 to go and a chance to take the lead.

But Ellington's three with the shot clock running down missed badly, and Clemson got the last look in regulation. The Tigers went inside for Booker, going right after Hansbrough, but his fadeaway was long, and a pair of tip-in attempts rimmed out, sending the game to an extra session.

The scoring then went back-and-forth in OT before Potter hit a runner in the lane to stake Clemson to an 86-83 advantage with just over a minute and a half to go. Ellington and Lawson each hit a pair of free throws to push UNC back in front before Stitt drew a foul on Green to earn the go-ahead foul shots.

Green and Deon Thompson finished with nine points apiece for UNC, which beat Clemson for the seventh straight time.

Stitt totaled 11 points and Cliff Hammonds had 13 for the Tigers, now 2-28 all-time against top-ranked teams.

Clemson led 13-10 thanks to a Rivers three in transition to cap a full- throttle opening four minutes.

The Tigers went to a full-court press and Carolina amped up the defensive pressure in the half court to slow Clemson down before the Tigers scored seven straight - capped by Rivers' driving bank shot - to close the half and take a 41-38 edge into the locker room.

The second half opened the same way as the first, with Clemson leading 54-49 after an exhausting first four minutes, and the Tigers continued to frontrun through the 10-minute mark.

Carolina pulled back within one before Clemson ran off a 7-1 run to take its largest lead of the night. Stitt scored on a beautiful spin through the lane, extending the Clemson lead to 77-70 with 3:42 to go in the game.

Game Notes

North Carolina never led in the second half, having trailed from the point it was 39-38 Clemson late in the first until they tied it late in regulation...Clemson has not beaten North Carolina since the 2003-04 season, head coach Oliver Purnell's first year...Clemson was coming off a 87-61 win at Alabama on Jan. 1...UNC was again without forward Alex Stepheson (personal reasons), though backup point guard Quentin Thomas returned from an ankle injury.