National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
North Carolina 67, Harvard 65
When: 7:20 PM ET, Thursday, March 19, 2015
Where: Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida
Officials: # Lee Cassell, # Don Daily, # Mike Sanzere
Attendance: N/A

North Carolina 67, Harvard 65: Justin Jackson led a balanced attack with 14 points - including a go-ahead dunk in the final minute - as the fourth-seeded Tar Heels survived a furious rally in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla.

Marcus Paige had 12 points and six assists for North Carolina (25-11), which faces No. 5 seed Arkansas in Saturday's round of 32. Kennedy Meeks added 10 points and eight rebounds while Isaiah Hicks scored nine points - all in the first half - on 4-of-4 shooting as the Tar Heels shot 55.1 percent from the floor.

Wesley Saunders scored 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting to lead the 13th-seeded Crimson (22-8), but his teammates went 13-of-41 from the floor. Siyani Chambers scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half to lead the comeback bid for Harvard, which erased a 16-point second-half deficit before falling short of its third straight win in the round of 64.

Paige hit a triple to make it 63-59 with just over three minutes to go, but Saunders beat the shot clock to make it a two-point game and Chambers had a steal that led to his dramatic four-point play with 1:15 to go, which gave Harvard its first and only lead. Jackson answered with a basket and after Chambers was off on a long-range attempt, finished a fast break with a dunk on a feed from Paige before Chambers and Saunders missed 3-point tries in the closing seconds.

Saunders scored on a back-door cut to ignite an 11-0 burst late in the first half as Harvard cut a 14-point deficit down to three, but Hicks sparked a 10-2 surge that gave North Carolina a 36-25 advantage at the break. A layup by Paige early in the second put the Tar Heels ahead 52-36 but they had one field goal in the next seven-plus minutes and Harvard pulled within 58-55 with 6:15 left after Chambers hit a floater and Corbin Miller made two free throws one second later.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Saunders was 5-of-8 from the floor in the first half, while the rest of the Crimson went 3-of-20. ... Harvard's first turnover came in the final minute of the first half and it finished with seven, compared to 17 for North Carolina. ... Tar Heels F Brice Johnson and F J.P. Tokoto both had seven points and seven rebounds to help their team earn a 35-26 advantage on the boards.
Top Game Performances
 
Harvard   North Carolina
Wesley Saunders 26 Scoring Justin Jackson 14
Wesley Saunders 5 Assists Marcus Paige 6
Steve Moundou-Missi 5 Rebounds Kennedy Meeks 8
Wesley Saunders 8 Free Throws Made Brice Johnson 3
Steve Moundou-Missi 3 Steals Marcus Paige 1
Kenyatta Smith 2 Blocks Isaiah Hicks 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Harvard 65 38.2 5-13 18-20 9 24 2 9 7
North Carolina 67 55.1 5-7 8-13 14 34 2 2 18