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Off the cuff: Brandon Robinson's five three pointers were perhaps the story of the game but Justin Pierce's night might have been more impressive.

Pierce was active on both sides of the court and finished with 14 points hitting six of 11 shots. He also sank both of his free throws, hauled in seven rebounds, blocked a shot and picked up a steal.

Coach Roy Williams tried to leave the court like he had stolen something but he was stopped because of a short ceremony at mid-court honoring his 879 victories tying Coach Dean Smith's totals.

Smith's accomplishment still stands above Williams' though as he did it in a different era as he was building the program to prominence plus all his wins were at UNC while about half of Williams were at Kansas.

Coach Williams passed it all off as just a number but he got emotional when he was telling the media after the game that Smith's son Scott told him, "Dad would be really happy."

Tar Heels 70, Yale 67
Heels hang on to win thriller over Yale

North Carolina broke open a close game only to see Yale come from 12 down but the Tar Heels hung on for a 70-67 thriller at home to give Coach Roy Williams a win that tied him with the legendary Dean Smith at 879 victories. (12/30)

Yale used the three ball to come back from a 60-48 deficit and had a chance to tie at the buzzer but Azar Swain, who seemingly couldn't miss, did just that at the buzzer.

Carolina missed its first seven shot from the floor as Yale got out to an 11-2 lead early. But the Tar Heels went on a 15-2 run highlighted by a reverse scoop shot by Jeremiah Francis that gave the Heels their first lead.

UNC led 32-28 at the break but a 7-0 Yale run to start the second half put the Heels down 35-32.

A 14-2 Carolina run, which included a step back long two and a three by Brandon Robinson, put the Heels in control 46-37. The Heels went up by 13 after back-to-back buckets by Justin Pierce and still led by 12 with just over six minutes to play.

A 14-5 Yale spurt, which ended with a three by Jordan Bruner, got the Bulldogs within three 65-62 with 47 seconds to go.

An old-fashioned three-point play by Francis, along with a pair of free throws, held Yale at bay but the Heels couldn't breathe easy until Swain missed the potential tying shot at the buzzer.

Despite the exciting ending and the fact that he tied Coach Smith's win total, Coach Williams' initial thoughts were with Anthony Harris, who left the game late with a knee injury. Harris was late to start the season due to a bad knee. "My hopes and prayers are that there's nothing serious there," he said.

Robinson, who led the Heels with 20 points, said there was a "mix of emotions" among the players as they felt concern for Harris and happiness for Coach Williams.

Joining Robinson in double figure scoring were Justin Pierce with 14, Garrison Brooks with 11 and Francis with 10.

"The first part of the season is over with - let's see what we can do in the ACC," Coach Williams said. "We need to improve this week."

The Tar Heels, now 8-5 overall, play ACC opponent Georgia Tech Saturday at 6 p.m.

Box Score

UNC's Jeremiah Francis dribbles through traffic. (UNC Athletic Communications)

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