In the Thursday night finale, the 5-seeded Tigers took down the 4-seeded Tar Heels, 80-79, to advance to the semifinals of the 2026 T. Rowe Price ACC Men's Basketball Tournament. It was Clemson's first win over North Carolina in the ACC Tournament since 1996. Clemson led by as many as 18 in the second half, but North Carolina went on a 21-7 run in the final three minutes to close the lead down to 1 with 2.7 seconds remaining. Once again, it was a balanced attack for Clemson with six Tigers scoring in double-figures. Nick Davidson was the Tigers' leading scorer with 17 points, going 4-4 on three-pointers. Dillon Hunter had 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists. RJ Godfrey added 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. North Carolina's Henri Veesaar scored a career-high 28 points while also pulling down 17 rebounds. Derek Dixon added 16 points with four made three-pointers.
