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Off the cuff: You think that might be the last time that idjit students yell "over-rated, over-rated" at Harrison Barnes?

It's the most foolish chant in college basketball. Nothing good can come from it. Do they really think it do anything but inspire the player, especially one that is used to being the center of attention.

The Hurricane fans yelled "over-rated" at Barnes over and over again as he stood at the free throw stripe with 5:57 to go. He calmly hit two free throws in a one-and-one situation to put the Heels up 63-62.

Then with just 1:04 left, Barnes, who went just four of 11 on the night, swished in a pressure-filled 18 footer from the left side to tie the game at 71-all.

Then with time running down in the shot clock and the game clock, Barnes knocked in a three from right corner to give Carolina a 74-71 victory tonight.

While not living up to the All-America hype, Barnes has consistently come through in late-game situations.

"He's not afraid to take it," UNC coach Roy Williams said of the clutch shooting. "He thinks he's going to make it every time."

Tar Heels 74, Miami 71
Barnes three trumps Miami's 13 threes

The Hurricanes were kings of the three throughout the game but it was a three by UNC's Harrison Barnes with six seconds left that lifted North Carolina to a 74-71 victory in Miami. (1/26)

Barnes scored Carolina's last five points. The Heels trailed 71-69 when Barnes swished and contested 18 footer from the left side to tie it at 71 with 1:04 left. Miami's Reggie Johnson missed inside against UNC's Tyler Zeller with 42 seconds left. Carolina held the ball and called timeout with seven seconds left on the shot clock and 14 seconds left in the game.

Kendall Marshall lobbed the ball over a defender to Barnes who hit a triple from the left corner. "He's not afraid to take it," UNC coach Roy Williams said of the clutch shooting. "He thinks he's going to make it every time."

Miami, who had lived by the three, died by the three at the end as Malcolm Grant missed a contested three from the top of the key. On the play, UNC's Dexter Strickland was picked and Barnes got a hand up.

A wild first half, where Carolina got down by 14 by virtue of hot three-point shooting by the Hurricanes, ended on a three pointer by UNC's Barnes to make the halftime score 39-39.

A 15-3 run got the Tar Heels back in it. Down 28-14 with 8:41 left, a fastbreak jumper by Dexter Strickland got the run started and Strickland completed the run with a fadeaway 15-footer and a layup to make it 31-29 with 3:37 left.

UNC didn't catch up until that Barnes three with five seconds left tied the game for the first time since it was 2-2. The tie seemed improbable as Miami knocked in eight of 13 threes in the half including a couple from Cuba and one that banked in as the shot clock expired.

Miami finished 13 of 26 from three-point land and Carolina went only six of 16 but the Barnes' three at the end of the first half and the end of the game were the biggest threes of the game.

Barnes led Carolina's scoring with 13 points while Strickland added 12, all in the first half. Miami, which fell to 12-8 and 1-5 in the ACC, was led by Durand Scott's 18 points.

The Tar Heels, now 14-5 and 4-1 in the league, host N.C. State Saturday at 2 p.m.

Boxscore

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