Deon Thompson led four Tar Heels in double figures with 15 points to go along with 12 rebounds, as sixth-ranked North Carolina built a comfortable edge then held on late to down No. 15 Ohio State, 77-73, in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.
The youthful Tar Heels (4-0) now have a date with Syracuse in Friday's championship game.
Will Graves added 14 points, Marcus Ginyard contributed 13 and Larry Drew added 11 points and eight assists for North Carolina, which used its length to disrupt Ohio State's perimeter shooters. The Buckeyes didn't make a three- pointer until Jon Diebler's trey with just under two minutes left in the first half was the first after nine misses.
Evan Turner led all scorers with 23 points and 11 rebounds, but he also committed 10 turnovers. Miscues are still a problem for the new Tar Heel guards, as the winners racked up 19 turnovers.
Diebler supported Turner's effort with 17 points and David Lighty added 11 points and four rebounds for the Buckeyes (2-1).
Graves layup capped a 9-0 stretch to put the Tar Heels in front, 26-11, with just over seven minutes left in the first half. The Buckeyes cut into the deficit and had a shot at drawing within single digits before the half but a missed open look led to an extra Tar Heel possession. Ginyard's rainbow from the left corner found the bottom of the net for a 38-24 halftime edge.
Justin Watts' acrobatic bank shot in the lane gave North Carolina its biggest lead at 53-34 and Thompson's layup moments later again made it a 19-point game at 55-36 with a little more than 10 minutes on the clock.
From there, the Buckeyes slowly cut into the large deficit. Graves' jumper made the score 66-51 with just over four minutes to go, but Turner scored four straight and Lighty followed a Thompson bucket with a trey for a 68-58 game.
William Buford's three-pointer, his only of the game, moments later made the score 71-63. Buford struggled at Madison Square Garden, making just 3-of-16 from the floor for eight points.
Drew missed three straight free throws, as Turner converted a layup and Lighty a trey for a 73-68 game before Drew finally connected on one free throw. Lighty's bucket in the lane with 20 ticks left made the score 74-70, and after Drew made just 1-of-2 foul shots, Diebler drained a straight-on trey for a one-possession game, 75-73 with 11 seconds to go.
When it counted most, Drew calmly sank two free throws to end the proceedings.
North Carolina shot 49.1 percent from the floor and made 7-of-15 from beyond the arc...The Buckeyes made 42.6 percent of their shots and struggled to 6-of-21 from beyond the arc...The Tar Heels hold a 10-2 edge in the all-time series.
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