MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – MARCH 21: Davon Barnes #7 of the Ole Miss Rebels makes a move on Seth Trimble #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Fiserv Forum on March 21, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

North Carolina’s inclusion in the NCAA tournament was one of the hottest topics of Selection Sunday.

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 an 71-64 win.

With the win, Mississippi advances to face No. 3 Iowa State in the second round. For North Carolina, a roller-coaster season comes to an end.

Ole Miss jumped out of the gates to a 44-26 halftime lead and appeared to be cruising to an easy victory. It was a familiar refrain for UNC, which regularly dug deep first-half holes against strong competition throughout the season.

Mississippi extended the lead to 50-28 early in the second half. But the Tar Heels punched back and cut their deficit to 63-59 with an 11-0 run to keep pressure on the Rebels with 5:07 remaining, setting up a tight battle down the stretch.

A three-point play by RJ Davis cut Mississippi’s lead to 66-64 with 1:09 remaining. But Mississippi’s Sean Pedulla answered with a 3-pointer on the other end to thwart the Tar Heels rally and extend the lead back to five points.

At that point, UNC’s rally ran out of steam, and Ole Miss hung on in a nail-biter.