Auburn wins, 97-80.

Auburn now is 29-9 overall.

AUBURN BY THE NUMBERS
2FG: 19-of-29 (66%)
3FG: 17-of-37 (46%)
FT: 8-of-17 (47%)

North Carolina grabbed more rebounds, 40-36.

Auburn is 12-6 this season when being out-rebounded.

NORTH CAROLINA BY THE NUMBERS
2FG: 21-of-37 (57%)
3FG: 7-of-28 (25%)
FT: 17-of-22 (77%)

MY AUBURN PLAYER OF THE GAME
F Chuma Okeke: 20 points (8-of-11 shooting), 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists

FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA SIDE

"I really, really hope that that youngster is not hurt badly because he's a heck of a player and you don't want that for anybody. I didn't do as good a job today as Bruce did." — UNC coach Roy Williams

"You have to give them credit — they pushed the pace very hard, come right up your backs. They penetrate and trying to make decision whether to help or stay attached to the 3-point shooter and they can back you off with the quickness and shoot it." — Williams

"I felt like the second half we came out, didn't play our principles. They hit some shots, and we kind of tried to get it back all on one play and didn't go in our favor, and felt like we didn't play to our strengths at the end and we forced some shots. And credit to Auburn, they shot the ball well and we didn't guard well enough to win tonight." — UNC forward Luke Maye

FROM THE AUBURN SIDE

• Let's start with the most important thing from tonight: Auburn followed the plan it laid out to win this game. It did what it had to do. What was that? Most important, the Tigers held their own on the boards. That's tough to do considering UNC is among national leaders in rebounding margin. This is a very long team that pays attention to that part of the game. UNC finished with a +4 margin Friday, which is within Auburn's goal of being within eight. Also, the Tigers created 14 turnovers and used them to build a 19-6 advantage in points off turnovers. Coach Bruce Pearl knows the three-point shooting comes and goes. He had his team focus on managing the two areas of the game discussed above — and pledged to let the chips fall where they may after that. The Tigers' three-point shooting was there, of course, and it mattered because this team managed its other responsibilities so well.

• The toughest thing about the night is Chuma Okeke, who went down with a knee injury around the 7-minute mark of the second half. It was a non-contact injury and he grabbed at his knee so quickly that the arena fell silent for a time. There is no official word yet regarding the severity of the injury, but Pearl was nearly in tears afterward talking about Okeke and his role in Auburn making it this far. The truth is that Okeke was having one of the finest games of his young career Friday night. And it was against perhaps the best opponent Auburn has faced this season. At this stage, it's probably wise to assume that Okeke won't be back for a while.

• I'm generally reticent to talk about bench points because the number by itself doesn't mean anything most of the time. Auburn has a five-man bench and at least four of those guys (save for Horace Spencer) can put up double digits without it being a spectacle. So bench points are common for this Auburn team. Still, the bench scored 40 points tonight. Forty is a lot. UNC's bench finished with 21 — and that's a good bench, too. I mention that number, probably for the first time this season in this space, to illustrate that Danjel Purifoy (12 points), J'Von McCormick (10 points) and Samir Doughty (10 points) all had fantastic contributions in reserve roles. Pearl often says that Auburn is at its best when it receives contributions from a variety of sources. This was a truly collaborative effort.

• Speaking of McCormick, he was on call one again during the first half when Jared Harper was benched after picking up a second foul. That happened against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament final and everyone in Auburn colors gripped their program a little more tightly. You remember, right? McCormick played his best game of the season that day, however, and presided over this team's best scoring run of the season right there in Nashville. He served as de facto talisman that day. Well, it happened again Friday. McCormick wasn't quite as prolific this time around in terms of points and assists, but he delivered a spirited, competent performance that kept the Tigers in the game. He also scored the final four points of the second half — with his bucket at the :03 mark moving Auburn ahead by two at the break.

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• I'd like to see a player, any player at any school, who has improved more than McCormick this season. He's scored 45 points in Auburn's last five games, has nine assists versus three turnovers during that period. Harper is better, but that gap between Harper and McCormick is so much smaller than it was in Maui. It's been a season-changing transformation.

• You're thinking to yourself: Season changing? Yeah. The scouting report on Auburn, as recently as January, was that you wreck Auburn by taking out Harper and Brown. We'd seen it happen so many times, you know? And now it's totally different for a few reasons.

• REASON ONE: It's Okeke; he's become such a versatile element on the scoring end. He's now creating his own shot a bit plus his three-point shooting is elite for a player with his size and post ability. He's a nightmare matchup.

• REASON TWO: It's McCormick, who takes pressure off Harper by allowing him to be a bit more aggressive in pursuing steals and in knowing he doesn't have to carry the team every minutes. He also allows Harper to play some shooting guard when Bryce Brown needs a break. He also drives downhill like Kerryon Johnson against Georgia in 2018 — emasculating all comers. McCormick gives Auburn numbers and energy.

• REASON THREE: It's Doughty and Malik Dunbar becoming a two-headed (or four-legged) small forward hybrid that now is a useful element of the attack. Doughty was so neutral from November to January, but perked up in February when he stopped trying to be the player he thought he should be ... and become the guy Auburn needed. Dunbar brings effort, spite and three-point shooting. Auburn actually wins this position sometimes now.

• REASON FOUR: It's Purifoy, who has transformed from a brooding Debbie Downer to a really useful momentum multiplier. He's not great in general, but he tends to get really hot when the team heats up. He's like gasoline on the fire. Purifoy hit four threes in four minutes during the second half Friday — and that left North Carolina shook.

• Auburn resumes play Sunday against Kentucky for a trip to the Final Four. That game is schedule to tip at 1:20 p.m. CDT.