Providence hung with North Carolina as long as it could.
Then Brice Johnson took over.
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The 6-9 senior forward led the top-seeded Tar Heels with 21 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in an 85-66 win over No. 9 Providence at PNC Arena in Raleigh. The victory sends UNC to the Sweet 16 for the 32nd time in the program's storied history.
"I'm trying to be one of the leaders of this team, so I've got be able to step up in a big-time game," Johnson told TBS. "We've just got to keep getting better to move on."
With the game tied 28-28 late in the first half, Johnson skied to swat a Kyron Cartwright shot that sent the pro-UNC crowd into a frenzy.
Brice Johnson with the monster block! #MarchMadness https://t.co/BRO4rMaTEV
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 20, 2016
Johnson's block provided a spark for the Tar Heels (30-6) as UNC closed the half on a 6-2 run. After the game was tied at 41 following a dunk by Providence's Kris Dunn with 15:35 remaining, the Tar Heels scored 29 of the next 33 points to blow the game open.
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"In the second half, we got it going a little bit," UNC coach Roy Williams told TBS. "We played good basketball and caught (Providence) on a night when they didn't make their shots."
Dunn scored 29 points to lead the Friars (24-11) while sophomore forward Ben Bentil added 21. Bentil and Dunn combined for consecutive fast breaks to give Providence a 36-34 lead early in the second half.
But the Tar Heels were the East Region's top seed for a reason and advanced to play No. 5 Indiana in a regional semifinal Friday in Philadelphia.