Tar Heels’ late rally turns back Vols

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Kenny Williams sank a threepointer to put North Carolina ahead for good with 35 seconds left as the seventhranked Tar Heels rallied past No. 20 Tennessee 78-73 on Sunday.

North Carolina (10-1) used a 9-0 run in the final minute to win for the fifth straight time and end ThompsonBoling Arena’s hex on defending national champions. Tennessee had won each of the last five times it had hosted a defending champ: against Connecticut (in January 2012), Florida (February 2007 and February 2008) and Kentucky (February 1999 and February 2013).

Tennessee (7-2) led by as many as nine points in the second half and was ahead 70-67 before North Carolina took control down the stretch. Joel Berry II scored a gamehigh 21 points for the Tar Heels, and Williams added 15. Grant Williams scored 15 points to lead five Vols in double figures.

Nike Sibande scored 21 points and Bam Bowman posted career highs with 20 points and 10 rebounds as host Miami (7-4) surged to a 54- 25 halftime lead in beating NAIA Rio Grande ( 5- 9). Will Hill scored 27 points for Rio Grande.

Women

Jessica Shepard scored a career- high 39 points, and Notre Dame (10-1) withstood a threepoint spree by DePaul ( 7- 4). Shepard hit 17 of 22 shots and had 11 rebounds. Ashton Millender had 18 points to lead the Blue Demons, who stayed close by hitting 7 of 14 three- pointers in the fi rst 20 minutes and 13 of 36 overall.

Asia Durr scored 32 points, including six threepointers, and visiting Louisville ( 13- 0) used a 24-9 second quarter to defeat in- state rival Kentucky (8-4). Maci Morris had 16 points for the Wildcats. Anastasia Hayes and Meme Jackson scored 15 points each, and visiting Tennessee rolled past Long Beach State (2-8). The Vols are 11-0 for the fi rst time since winning their fi rst 18 in 2005- 06. Ma’Qhi Berry led Long Beach State with 19 points and nine assists.