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Off the cuff: It was good to see that old Carolina late-game magic again at the end of the Florida State game. The last-second shot by Ty Lawson conjures up memories of old Dean Smith comebacks at the end of games. It certainly wasn't eight points in 17 seconds, but six points in a minute, 12 seconds ain't bad.

Carolina actually came back from being nine points down in the first half to take a 13-point lead before Florida State came roaring back to take a five-point lead in the second half.

TV analyst Dan Bonner, who can grate on you with his seemingly disingenous and fixed smile, had excellent insight throughout the game. But it was play-by-play guy Tim Brando's description of Ty Lawson early in the second half that stuck with me. He called Lawson "the human blur in blue." Descriptive and accurate. Lawson can go coast to coast as fast, or faster, than anyone in Carolina history.

Did those Seminole jerseys strike you as the blousiest top in the league? How they can play with such loose tops is beyond me. I guess I'm old school but those uniforms look almost thuggish. A couple of players constantly were playing with their shirttails out and had their pants pulled down a couple of inches more than the other players. Would some team please bring back shorts that are above the knee at least? Hasn't this long pants fashion gone on long enough? The mini-skirt certainly didn't last this long - if anything, that should have had legs.

Hansbrough didn't lose a tooth against Clemson - not yet anyway. He came back on the court quickly and the reason is that he wouldn't let the dentist look at it. I understand that the tooth was knocked back in his mouth but that trainers moved it back in place and gave him a mouthguard to use.

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Heels 80, Seminoles 77
Who dat Houdini? Carolina escapes

North Carolina escaped Tallahassee with an 80-77 victory after Ty Lawson cleanly drained a running three-pointer at the buzzer. (1/28)

With Tyler Hansbrough in foul trouble the entire game, and with the Tar Heels shooting poorly from the field, and with Carolina turning the ball over a season-high 21 times, the recipe was there for a Florida State win.

But Carolina scored the last six points of the game over the last 1:12 to earn the win. Trailing 77-74, UNC's Danny Green came up with a steal, went in for the layup and was fouled by FSU's Derwin Kitchen in the process. After sinking the free throw, the score stood at 77-all.

On the Seminole's ensuing possession, Hansbrough, with four fouls, played Florida State's Mr. Everything Toney Douglas tough. Douglas threw up a wild three-point attempt at the end of the shot clock. Unfortunately for the Heels, the Seminoles' Chris Singleton came away with the rebound and Florida State took time off the clock, calling timeout with just 16 seconds remaining.

With 12 seconds left on the shot clock, Hansbrough once again stuck to Douglas who could not get off a clean shot and the Heels got the ball on the shot clock violation with just over three seconds left.

Hansbrough inbounded to Lawson, who flew unmolested down the court and floated a running three-pointer straight through the hoop at the buzzer.

The entire team got to Lawson in a flash but it was Hansbrough who got to him first, picking him up with a big bear hug.

"When you shoot 38 percent on the road, you feel lucky," Coach Roy Williams said. "And you get out of town as fast as you can."

In light of the turnovers, the Tar Heels were especially "lucky as all get out," he said.

Carolina, which had trailed by nine in the first half, went on an 18-3 run at the end of the first half that put the Heels up 46-35 at the break. Green drilled four three-pointers in that opening half to lead the way.

Five minutes into the second half, Hansbrough popped in a 15-footer to give UNC its largest lead at 52-39. But Carolina went cold and the Seminoles forced turnover after turnover.

Douglas, who scored 32 points, led the comeback but it was a Singleton three and a layup by Luke Loucks, after Wayne Ellington turned it over when he slipped at midcourt, that put Florida State ahead for the first time since the first half at 64-63 with 8:27 left in the game.

Carolina didn't get the lead back until Deon Thompson sank a pair of free throws with 3:27 to go to make it 73-71. A minute later, a goaltending call on Thompson gave the lead back to the Seminoles at 75-73.

UNC had several opportunities to tie or take the lead but could not until scoring those last six points. Lawson led the way wih 21 points and Green finished with 20. Ellington was the only other Tar Heel in double figures with 14.

Hansbrough, who picked up two fouls in the first five minutes of the game, saw his streak of 55 straight games with double figures come to an end as he finished with eight points.

Carolina, which plays at N.C. State Saturday, moves to 18-2 and 4-2 in the ACC while Florida State falls to 16-5 and 3-3 in the league.

Boxscore

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