Grinding it out: UNC basketball outlasts Clemson for perfect home record

Chapel Fowler and Shelby Swanson, The News & Observer on Mar 3, 2026

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — With tough buckets and timely shots, Clemson men’s basketball showed up at the Smith Center and tried its hardest to hand UNC its first home loss of the season.

Luka Bogavac and Derek Dixon had other plans.

Bogavac, the junior guard from Montenegro’s had an up-and-down first season with the Tar Heels, but he was on point Monday and sank six 3-pointers to lead No. 17 UNC to a 67-63 win over a gritty Clemson team, while Dixon had another big shot.

After trailing 55-53 with 5:38 left, UNC went on a 7-0 run and led 61-55 with 2:21 remaining, before the Tigers roared back to within a possession.

Clemson forward RJ Godfrey missed two free throws (one after a lane violation) that could’ve cut UNC’s lead to 61-60 with 1:25 remaining, and on the ensuing possession Dixon hit a tough 3-pointer to put the Tar Heels up 64-59.

Clemson guard Dillon Hunter responded with two free throws and made a layup to cut it to 64-63 after UNC’s Jarin Stevenson missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw trip. But Bogavac sank two free throws for a 66-63 lead with 12.2 seconds left.

Clemson’s Hunter missed a layup (while trailing by three) on the last possession, and UNC’s Trimble iced the game with another free throw with 0.9 seconds left.

Game recap

Clemson snapped a four-game ACC losing streak with a home win over then-No. 24 Louisville Saturday. The Tigers carried that momentum into Monday’s game, which had a sellout crowd on hand for the Tar Heels’ home finale and senior night.

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