PALO ALTO, Calif. (Interstat) — In a high-octane, back-and-forth offensive showcase, the Stanford Cardinal used a blistering perimeter attack to outlast the North Carolina Tar Heels 95-90 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at Maples Pavilion.

The game, a late addition to the schedule organized by the Atlantic Coast Conference, featured 16 lead changes and was tied on 11 occasions, with neither team able to build a double-digit advantage. The decisive factor proved to be Stanford’s remarkable shooting from beyond the arc, where they connected on 16 of 28 attempts, a 57.1% clip that ultimately offset North Carolina’s advantages in interior scoring and rebounding.

Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, a junior from Nashua, New Hampshire, delivered a career-defining performance, leading all scorers with 36 points and dishing out nine assists in 35 minutes. His backcourt mate, Jeremy Dent-Smith of Hawthorne, California, provided a critical second-half spark, scoring 17 of his 20 points after halftime, including five three-pointers. Ryan Agarwal from Coppell, Texas, also added 20 points, hitting six three-pointers of his own.

North Carolina was powered by its formidable frontcourt duo. Caleb Wilson, a sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia, scored 26 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Seven-foot sophomore Henri Veesaar of Tallinn, Estonia, matched Wilson with 26 points on efficient 10-of-14 shooting from the field. Seth Trimble of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, contributed 13 points for the Tar Heels.

The most crucial sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute with the score tied at 90. Following a North Carolina timeout with 32 seconds remaining, the Tar Heels’ inbounds pass was deflected and stolen by Stanford’ Ryan Agarwal. The Cardinal worked the ball to Okorie, who was fouled on a drive to the basket with 15 seconds left. He calmly sank both free throws to give Stanford a 92-90 lead.

North Carolina’s ensuing possession ended in disaster when Caleb Wilson was called for a traveling violation near the top of the key with just three seconds on the clock. Stanford’s Benny Gealer of Palos Verdes Estates, California, was then fouled and made both free throws to seal the five-point victory, capping a 5-0 run to end the game.

The contest was a tale of contrasting efficiencies. While both teams shot almost identically from the field—North Carolina at 58.2% (32 of 55) and Stanford at 57.1% (32 of 56)—the disparity from three-point range was staggering. Stanford’s 16 made threes dwarfed North Carolina’s 6-of-16 effort. The Tar Heels also struggled at the free-throw line, making only 20 of 32 attempts, a 62.5% rate that left potential points on the board in a tight game.

Stanford’s offense operated with precision, committing only eight turnovers and posting an offensive rating of 130.3 points per 100 possessions. North Carolina, despite scoring 90 points on 74 possessions for a strong 121.3 offensive rating, was hampered by 11 turnovers and a lack of defensive answers for Stanford’s perimeter barrage.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for North Carolina, dropping its record to 14-3. Stanford improved to 14-4 and secured a significant resume-building victory, having been projected as a 2-point underdog at home by the Interstat ELO system, which gave the Tar Heels a 72.6% probability of winning.

North Carolina will look to rebound quickly as it continues its West Coast trip at California on Saturday. Stanford, meanwhile, prepares for another major ACC test when it hosts Duke, also on Saturday.