Wake Forest Basketball Stuns Rival UNC In Overtime Thriller

Wake Forest Basketball Stuns Rival UNC In Overtime Thriller...

Wake Forest basketball delivered a March Madness-worthy performance Tuesday night, upsetting No. 8 North Carolina 89-87 in overtime at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Demon Deacons' victory snaps a seven-game losing streak against their Tobacco Road rivals and bolsters their NCAA Tournament resume with Selection Sunday just weeks away.

Sophomore guard Cameron Hildreth led Wake Forest (19-10, 11-7 ACC) with 24 points, including the game-winning layup with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime. The sold-out home crowd stormed the court as the final buzzer sounded, marking Wake Forest's first win over UNC since 2020. The victory comes at a critical moment for head coach Steve Forbes' program, which hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament since 2017.

North Carolina (23-7, 15-4) saw its eight-game winning streak end despite 28 points from All-ACC forward Armando Bacot. The Tar Heels had already clinched the ACC regular-season title but lost crucial momentum heading into postseason play. ESPN's Bracketology now projects Wake Forest as one of the "last four in" the NCAA Tournament field.

The game trended nationally on social media as fans debated whether Wake Forest's court-storming posed safety risks. Video showed UNC guard RJ Davis getting bumped during the celebration, reigniting discussions about postgame protocols. ACC officials told reporters they will review the incident but don't anticipate disciplinary action.

Wake Forest closes its regular season Saturday at Clemson, needing a win to solidify its tournament case. UNC hosts rival Duke in Saturday's primetime showdown to determine ACC Tournament seeding. Both games will air on ESPN, with March Madness brackets set to be revealed March 13.