CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — It was a valiant second-half effort by 18th-ranked Clemson on Tuesday night at the Dean Smith Center, but it came a little too late for the Tigers.

The streak lives for another year as No. 14 North Carolina fought off a second-half rally by the Tigers for a an 87-79 victory, bringing its all-time record against Clemson in Chapel Hill to 59-0.

The Tar Heels (15-4, 4-2 ACC) have won 10 straight overall in the series.

“I was a little disappointed with how our guys played tonight. I don’t think we played very well,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said afterward. “We started the game very poorly with turnovers, careless ones, and could not make free throws. We could not make shots.

“I thought we were a little down and pouted a little bit based on our poor offense. We never really defended like a team that is a good team.”

The Tigers trailed 38-23 at halftime, but behind Marquise Reed’s 19 second half points, and 21 overall, and the team’s 15 straight field goals in the second half, Clemson trailed by just two points, twice, late in the game.

“We executed some things better. I thought we were a little more patient,” Brownell said. “Some of it was law of averages. We had guys miss open shots in the first half, too. I’m not counting on making that percentage, but we just played better and settled into the game.”

However, UNC’s Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson kept the Tar Heels in front and never let the Tigers tie the game.

“They just made us pay all night,” Brownell said.

Johnson finished with 21 points, while Maye had 11. Point guard Joel Berry added 17 points.

Clemson (15-3, 4-2 ACC) trailed 64-62 with 8:01 to play and 66-64 with 6:17 to play. But could not get over the hump and get a stop.

Down the stretch North Carolina scored on four straight baskets to extend its lead back to eight points and hung on for the win.

Besides Reed’s 21 points, the Tigers also got 18 points from Shleton Mitchell and 16 from center Elijah Hood. Gabe DeVoe finished the game with 11 points, which all came in the first half.

Clemson will host Notre Dame on Saturday at 4 p.m.