One is the Atlantic Coast Conference of old, which consists of Duke for certain and North Carolina for maybe. The other 10 teams, with the possible exception of Maryland, constitute the Average Coast Conference.

After about three hours of fierce competition on Sunday night in Carolina's Smith Center, the lines of distinction were never more clear. The Tar Heels, at the end of a game they earlier had no reasonable chance of winning, won after all -- 103-93 in double overtime.

Clemson, which had a great chance of beating the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill for the first time ever, left the building 5-4 in the league and 17-6 overall.

Carolina coach Roy Williams, a Tar Heel fan since his childhood, said he could live to be 106 and never be more proud of a team. It well could take that long for the Tigers to overcome their drought in Chapel Hill, which now falls to 0-for-53.

But by the same token, the Heels (22-2 overall, 7-2 ACC) get all due credit for making this strange win happen.

It required 39 points and 13 rebounds from Tyler Hansbrough and 28 points from Wayne Ellington, plus 14 points off the bench from Danny Green. It required fill-in playmaker Quentin Thomas playing 45 minutes and hitting two critical free throws. But somehow, it all fell into place.

If there was a ironic twist to the Heels' victory, maybe it was because they were able to send the Tigers to the free-throw line just enough. One of the worst foul-shooting teams imaginable, Clemson missed six of seven while Carolina made 31 of 36, including 17 conversions on 19 chances for Hansbrough. Had the Heels fouled a little more and sent Clemson to the line a few more times, maybe the outcome might have been even more comfortable for the Heels.

"It was extremely crazy," Hansbrough said. "It's something that's great to be a part of tonight -- that victory. We fought hard and there were some tough times in the first half. We didn't talk about it [winning streak versus Clemson in Chapel Hill], but it's something that everyone knows about. I'm just happy it's still going on."

The unsinkable Hansbrough's role was critical, of course. "That's why the call him 'Psycho T'," Green said. "He's an animal. He was everywhere when we needed him."

No where on the playing court, however, was point guard Ty Lawson, who sat out his second straight game with an ankle injury.

Williams, looking ahead to Tuesday's game at last-place Virginia (1-8, 11-11), said he doubted Lawson would be ready by then, meaning it could be Saturday against Virginia Tech before he's back in the lineup.

Carolina obviously needs Lawson. The Heels dodged a bullet against Clemson, possibly because it was Clemson. There was a stage late in regulation, when the Tigers seemed to be going the same way of all Clemson teams in the past. Carolina's players, in turn, feasted on the blood of surrender.

But none of that changes the fact that the Heels, without Lawson, are essentially 3-1 -- a loss in the Smith Center to Duke, an overtime win at Florida State (when he played roughly four minutes), a win against Ohio State and a double-overtime win over the team they never lose to in Chapel Hill.