In the opening round of the Maui Invitational on Monday night, the No. 12-ranked Tar Heels faced the unranked Dayton Flyers. UNC basketball rookie forward Drake Powell, coming off the bench, had a significant impact. Despite finishing with only six points, his confident make from the corner down the stretch earned him extra praise from his teammates and coaches.

UNC's Epic Comeback and Powell's Role

Helping the Tar Heels cap off an epic comeback from a 21-point second-half deficit, 19-year-old Powell received a pass from graduate guard RJ Davis. With 1:13 remaining in the contest, he drained the clutch 3-pointer, giving UNC an 88-87 advantage. Just 23 seconds earlier, Dayton's Malachi Smith had connected on a three to take the lead.The freshman's swish was UNC's last made field goal. Davis, who tallied a season-high 30 points, sealed the victory with his 4-for-4 clip at the charity stripe in the game's final 15 seconds.Across his bench-high 23 minutes of action, Powell shot 2-for-2 from the field, both being 3-point attempts that tripled his season count of makes beyond the arc. He added four rebounds and one steal while committing only one foul and zero turnovers. He is now 3-for-8 from 3-point range as a UNC basketball player, averaging 4.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 0.6 steals in 20.6 minutes per outing.

Preparing for the Next Challenge

Drake Powell and the Tar Heels are now quickly preparing to square off against the No. 4 Auburn Tigers. The Tigers overcame an 18-point deficit to defeat the No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones prior to the UNC-Dayton game. Their Maui Invitational semifinal bout tips off at 11 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN).Powell will look to continue his clutch performance and contribute to the Tar Heels' success in the upcoming game. Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball news.