CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- P.J. Hairston scored a career-high 29 points in his second straight start to help North Carolina beat Virginia 93-81 on Saturday.
Freshman Marcus Paige added 17 for the Tar Heels (17-8, 7-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), who snapped a two-game skid with one of their strongest offensive showings this season. North Carolina shot 49.2 percent and hit 13 3-pointers for its best total in a league game while staying with the four-guard lineup it used in Wednesday night's loss at rival Duke.
The Tar Heels had lost by 26 points at third-ranked Miami and by five to the No. 2 Blue Devils in the past week, but they buried shot after shot from outside Saturday and tore through a defense that ranked second nationally by allowing just 52 points per game.
Virginia (18-7, 8-4) hadn't allowed more than 69 points, a total UNC passed with more than 9 minutes left.
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