CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot each had a double-double, and North Carolina pulled away in the last three minutes to beat Syracuse 81-75 on Tuesday night.
The Tar Heels (8-4, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) became the first men’s basketball program to play 1,000 regular-season ACC games. The Tar Heels are 708-292 and have the most wins in ACC history.
Brooks scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds. Bacot had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Bacot has 14 double-doubles and 19 games with 10 or more rebounds. R.J. Davis added 12 points.
Quincy Guerrier had 23 points and 11 rebounds for Syracuse (7-3, 1-2). Buddy Boeheim added 18 points and Alan Griffin had 16.
Day’Ron Sharpe’s two free throws gave the Tar Heels a 69-68 lead with 3:00 remaining. Consecutive layups from Bacot and another from Andrew Platek stretched their lead to 77-70 with 42 seconds left.
North Carolina is 14-5 against the Orange, winning 10 of the last 11. It was the Tar Heels’ first ACC game this season decided by more than five points.
UP NEXT
Syracuse: Is at Pittsburgh on Saturday.
North Carolina: Heads to Tallahassee, Florida to face Florida State on Saturday.
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