On Saturday, with 3:43 remaining in the first half, the Tar Heels faced their largest deficit of the tournament. Trailing 30-22, thanks to back-to-back Dylan Ennis three-pointers, the under-four media timeout came at just the right moment. North Carolina, who has had some trouble closing out first halves throughout the season, were flirting with disaster.
Instead, coming out of the timeout, the Heels embarked on a 17-6 run. After a Kennedy Meeks layup (surprise!) gave UNC a 37-36 lead, North Carolina did not trail for the rest of the game. They entered the half with a 39-36 lead, which seemed almost impossible just minutes before.