Off the cuff: Florida State came into Chapel Hill with a school-record 12 straight wins but the Tar Heels set the tone at the beginning and followed through at the end.
In the first four minutes the Tar Heels led by nine, and despite an up-and-down first half, still had a nine-point lead at the break.
Florida State turned the ball over 11 times in the first half and missed eight free throws. Despite a better second-half showing from the Seminoles, the Tar Heels won the second half as well with a late 14-2 run.
It was good to see Theo Pinson (12 points and 10 rebounds) and Luke Maye (15 rebounds) contribute in big ways.
Carolina continues to flirt with foul trouble but evidently, on this day at least, has the depth to overcome it. And they did it without super sub Tony Bradley, who sat out with concussion protocols.
Tar Heels 96, Florida State 83 UNC breaks Florida State's win streak
Three Tar Heels scored more than 20 each as North Carolina broke open a close game with a late 14-2 run in a 96-83 victory over Florida State in Chapel Hill. (1/14).
The win broke a Seminole 12-game win streak, a school record, and leaves Notre Dame as the only team in the ACC undefeated in league play.
The Tar Heels, who had opened up a 50-41 halftime lead, were ahead by just four points with less than six minutes to play. That's when Theo Pinson, who has missed most of the season with a fracture in his foot, scored his first points of the season. And big points they were.
Starting at midcourt, Pinson drove past three defenders and slammed down a powerful, running dunk to put the Heels up 82-76 with 5:45 to go.
It never got closer than four again as the Heels went on a
14-2 run over the next four minutes to open it up to 96-80 with less than a minute to go.
There were plenty of big plays during the run including a Pinson to Isaiah Hicks alley oop and a Luke Maye to Hicks full-court pass for a dunk. Joel Berry also scored on a drive at the end of a shot clock and Pinson drained a three during the stretch.
Berry led the way with 26 points while Hicks and Justin Jackson tallied 22 each. Pinson finished with 12 points and Maye finished with a career-high 15 rebounds.
Carolina used some strange lineups as a number of players, including Kennedy Meeks who only played 13 minutes, were in foul trouble.
"It was the first time in 29 years where I've had a lineup out there with no post player," UNC coach Roy Williams said about going with a small lineup for good chunks of time.
"We made some shots," he added. "I feel good about a win over a really, really good team."
Carolina came out quick and aggressively, getting out to a 7-0 lead. There were four lead changes after that however. But Berry hit a three with seconds left to give the Heels what felt like a commanding 59-50 lead at the half.
UNC got the lead to 11 but Florida State went on a 9-2 run to get back in it at 54-50.
A 10-2 Carolina run, highlighted by a pair of Jackson threes, opened the lead back to 69-58 with 12 minutes left.
Within five minutes the Seminoles had the lead down to three at 78-75. Soon thereafter Pinson got that big dunk that energized the crowd and led to the 14-2 run that wrapped it up.
Dwayne Bacon's 18 points led Florida State which falls to 16-2 and 4-1 in the ACC.
Carolina, who improves to 16-3 and 4-1 in the ACC, hosts Syracuse Monday night.
