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CHAPEL HILL — Do the math: 2,000 victories divided by 100 years comes out to 20 wins per season.

That's pretty good.

And for one night, a milestone victory salved the wounds of a season gone bad.

North Carolina took a break from a season of disappointments and despair on a snowy Tuesday night, scratching out a 69-62 win over Miami in the final regular-season game of a lost year at the Smith Center.

The key words in that last sentence? "Regular" and "season." The Tar Heels (16-14, 5-10 ACC) needed the victory over Miami (18-11, 4-11) to climb out of the ACC cellar, but North Carolina's most realistic postseason hope is a berth in the NIT. And the Heels could end up hosting a game in the postseason of the not invited.

Don't tell that to Marcus Ginyard. North Carolina's fifth-year senior finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds — his first career double-double — on senior night, helping the Tar Heels win back-to-back games for the first time since before New Year's Day.

"We're still very excited about the challenges we have ahead of us," Ginyard said. "We think we still have an opportunity to do something really special. These guys in this locker room are excited about what's ahead."

What's ahead is Duke. The Heels close the regular season at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday against the ACC's best team.

They head in after twice blowing double-digit leads at home against the ACC's worst team.

"They're all big for us. We're fighting for our lives," Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "This time of year, every win is important to you regardless of what's going on. We have one game left on our schedule, and that's what we'll start focusing on Thursday."

The focus could come from the seniors. Will Graves, the junior shooter from Greensboro, scored a team-high 16 points against Miami. But Ginyard and Deon Thompson played critical roles down the stretch.

"I introduced him tonight in the locker room to the freshmen," Williams said. "I said, 'That's the Marcus we've known.' I think that was very important. I think they needed to see him at his best."

Thompson, who has battled a bad back during the stretch run, scored 14 points. His bucket with 3:03 left pushed a one-point lead back to 61-58, and the Heels hit enough free throws down the stretch for their second straight win.

"Saturday (at Wake Forest) was even better for us because it was a road win," Williams said. "Today it was an emotional day and it wasn't just about basketball. It seems like just last week I was going into Deon Thompson's home (on a recruiting visit). Today was not just about our basketball team this year."

Instead, it was a welcome respite from a difficult season.

Now comes Duke. Then the ACC tournament. And then, who knows? Maybe another game in Chapel Hill.

Notes: Tar Heels coach Roy Williams is 22-0 on senior nights at Kansas and North Carolina. ... Carolina's four senior walk-ons also played their final regular-season games in the Dean Dome: Marc Campbell, James Gallagher, Terrence Petree and Thomas Thornton, a Grimsley graduate from Greensboro. ... Thornton, Gallagher and Campbell started the game along with scholarship seniors Thompson and Ginyard.

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com

MIAMI (18-11) — Collins 1-5 1-2 3, Gamble 3-10 1-2 8, Adams 0-5 0-0 0, Dews 1-8 0-0 2, Scott 11-15 4-4 29, Grant 4-11 2-4 12, McGowan 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas 2-8 0-0 6, Johnson 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 23-66 8-12 62.

NORTH CAROLINA (16-14) — Gallagher 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 6-12 2-2 14, Ginyard 3-7 6-8 12, Thornton 0-0 0-0 0, Campbell 0-0 0-0 0, Drew II 2-7 1-2 6, Graves 4-9 4-4 16, Henson 3-4 1-2 7, Zeller 2-6 2-3 6, Strickland 2-2 0-0 5, McDonald 0-7 0-0 0, T.Wear 1-3 1-2 3, Petree 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-57 17-23 69.

Miami 26 36 — 62
North Carolina 36 33 — 69

Percentages—Miami (FG .348, FT .667), North Carolina (FG .404, FT .739).
3-point goals—Miami 8-34 (Scott 3-5, Thomas 2-8, Grant 2-9, Gamble 1-2, Adams 0-5, Dews 0-5), North Carolina 6-18 (Graves 4-8, Strickland 1-1, Drew II 1-4, Ginyard 0-1, McDonald 0-4).
Fouled out—Dews, Johnson.
Rebounds—Miami 27 (Gamble 7), North Carolina 51 (Ginyard, Henson 12).
Assists—Miami 12 (Grant 8), North Carolina 16 (Drew II 7).
Blocked shots—Miami 7 (Gamble 4, Collins 2), North Carolina 6 (Henson 4).
Turnovers—Miami 8 (Adams 3), North Carolina 17 (Zeller 4, Henson 3).
Steals—Miami 13 (Thomas 4), North Carolina 5 (Zeller 2).
Total fouls—Miami 20, North Carolina 11.
A—16,725.
Officials—Karl Hess, Tony Greene, Les Jones.