CHARLESTON, S.C. — Andrew Goudelock’s long 3-pointer tied the game with 2 seconds left in regulation, Donavan Monroe gave College of Charleston the lead for good with a 3 to start overtime and the Cougars beat No. 9 North Carolina 82-79 on Monday night.
The Tar Heels (11-4) had trailed most of the game, but used a late run to take a 72-61 lead with 4 minutes to go. That’s when Goudelock and the Cougars (8-6) got going.
Goudelock scored the last 8 points in regulation, including the fadeaway 3 from about 28 feet with 6-foot-10 Ed Davis in his face to make it 73-all.
Monroe hit the go-ahead 3-pointer and his two free throws with 18 seconds left provided the final margin.
Charleston beat a ranked opponent for the first time since defeating the third-ranked Tar Heels 66-64 on Dec. 5, 1998.
Goudelock scored 24 points, while Davis had 18 points and 16 rebounds.
North Carolina’s Dexter Strickland missed a layup with 4 seconds left. Davis’ cross-court pass with less than a second to go was picked off by Monroe and the celebration began.
Monroe clutched the basketball as time ran out and fans rushed the court at the Carolina First Arena. Charleston coach Bobby Cremins had his share of success at Georgia Tech for nearly two decades, going 12-33 against the Tar Heels.
This one figured to be out of his team’s reach, however, especially after North Carolina took the 72-61 lead.
But the Cougars called on their long-range shooting to pull out the victory. Goudelock hit two of his four 3s the rest of the way.
In all, Charleston was 13 of 32 from behind the arc. North Carolina’s only 3-pointer came in overtime when Larry Drew II cut Charleston’s lead to 82-79.
That’s as close as the Tar Heels got.
That they were in this at all was because of their size and accuracy at the free throw line. North Carolina outrebounded Charleston 56-36 and was 24 of 34 from the line to the Cougars’ 3-of-6 showing.
Casaan Breeden and Monroe had 15 points each for the Cougars.
Deon Thompson added 17 points for the Tar Heels.
North Carolina’s starting backcourt of Drew and Strickland were a combined 5 of 21 from the field for 17 points.
Charleston had never hosted a team ranked as high as No. 9 North Carolina and many Cougar fans wore wigs of Cremins’ signature bleach white hair.
North Carolina coach Roy Williams has a beach home just north of the city in the Wild Dunes resort and, with the university on winter break, brought the Tar Heels in on Saturday night with the team staying at the swanky Charleston Place hotel.
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