Sean Pedulla made a critical 3-pointer with 52.8 seconds left, and Mississippi topped North Carolina 71-64 in the NCAA Tournament after the Rebels squandered most of a 22-point lead in the second half.

The Tar Heels responded with a dominant win over San Diego State in the First Four. But their NCAA tournament run won't extend beyond the first round. No. 6 seed Ole Miss opened a 22-point lead over No. 11 North Carolina on Friday, then held off a furious late Tar Heels rally for a 71-64 win.

Slowed by injury, Kayla McPherson hasn’t played in a game for UNC women’s basketball since 2023, but she’s added another voice to the Tar Heels’ bench as the NCAA Tournament begins.