CLEMSON, S.C. – This game would have been better had it been played between the lines at Memorial Stadium.

In a top-25 ACC basketball showdown at Littlejohn Coliseum that looked more like a football game, UNC battled its way to a 65-55 win against Clemson.

The eighth-ranked Tar Heels (11-3, 3-0 ACC) and 16th-ranked Tigers (11-3, 1-2) combined for 28 fouls, but UNC’s rebounding and offense down the stretch helped the Heels earn their first top-25 road win since beating Duke in 2022.

Armando Bacot had 14 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Tar Heels, who are off to a 3-0 start in the ACC for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Armando Bacot, RJ Davis steady UNC basketball

On a poor shooting afternoon for both teams, UNC veterans Armando Bacot and RJ Davis steadied things for the Tar Heels in the latter stages. Davis scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half and helped UNC close the door with a 10-2 run in the final minutes to pull away from Clemson, which didn't score in the final five minutes.

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UNC basketball’s 3-point shooting better than Clemson

The Tigers entered Saturday’s game 11th in the nation in 3-point percentage at 39%, but missed their first 14 attempts from beyond the arc. Chauncey Wiggins ended the drought seven minutes into the second half, but Clemson finished 1 of 18 from long range. UNC made 8 of 23 from beyond the arc, including back-to-back treys by Paxson Wojick and Seth Trimble that gave the Heels the lead for good.

Cormac Ryan’s strong start, injury scare for Tar Heels

Cormac Ryan scored 10 points in the first 14 minutes and briefly exited the game with what appeared to be a right-ankle injury late in the first half before returning for the final minutes. Ryan made four of his six shots in the first half, but the rest of the Tar Heels were a combined 11 of 26 from the floor.

Ian Schieffelin, Clemson basketball get to the free-throw line

After attempting nine free throws in its loss at Miami, Clemson made 12 of 14 free throws in the first half against UNC. Ian Schieffelin led the Tigers with 10 points, including six freebies, and added three steals as the teams went into halftime tied at 34.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Armando Bacot, UNC basketball win top-25 ACC showdown at Clemson