BY RODERICK BOONE
Will Clemson ever catch a break against North Carolina? Every team has a nemesis and it appears as if North Carolina is Clemson's.
Last night, the Tigers had a chance to knock off the nation's top-ranked team. Clemson had the Tarheels on the ropes, but UNC fought back like a true champion does. Wayne Ellington broke the heart of more than a few Clemson fans when he nailed a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in overtime to send the Heels to a 90-88 win at Littlejohn Coliseum in the ACC opener for both teams.
"Our guys realize we let one get away," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said afterward.
Under Purnell, Clemson has climbed through the ranks of the ACC each season, but has yet to completely get to that next level. Clemson hasn't defeated North Carolina since the 2003-04 season, which happens to be Purnell's first year. Beating a team like Carolina would go a long way in pushing the Tigers into the realm of the ACC's elite. Until then, Clemson will have a case of the "yeah, buts."
You figure it has to happen sometime, right? For the sake of the Clemson players and faithful, maybe it will happen sooner than later. They probably can't take too many more losses to the high and mighty Heels of Chapel Hill in the fashion they did Sunday.