FORT WORTH, Texas — After trailing by 25, Baylor cut the deficit entirely to force overtime in Saturday's NCAA Tournament second round.
No. 8 seed North Carolina upset No. 1 seed Baylor 91-86 in overtime in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
With objectively questionable officiating from the opening tip, Baylor's sloppy play in the opening 30 minutes just added to what ballooned in to a 25-point North Carolina lead.
In the middle of the second half, UNC guard Brady Manek was called for a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game with 26 points.
From that point forward, Baylor roared back to force overtime, with James Akinjo tying the game at 80 in the final seconds. Akinjo finished with 20 points.
The Bears shot just 9-of-37 from 3 in the loss Saturday, with Adam Flagler 3-of-11 from deep. Flagler finished with a team-high 27 points.
In the bonus period, the Tar Heels scored first and held the Bears at arm's length to seal the win and clinch a spot in the Sweet 16 in Philadelphia.
Baylor was out-rebounded 47-38 in the game, while North Carolina shot 49.1% from the floor and 44% from 3 compared to 34.6% from the floor and 24.3% from 3 for the Bears.
It's the second time in three NCAA Tournaments the Bears have lost in the Round of 32 and the second-straight tournament in which a No. 1 seed lost before the Sweet 16.
