NEW YORK -- Derek Raivio netted 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds as Gonzaga stunned second-ranked North Carolina, 82-74, in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden.

The Bulldogs (5-0) now move on to face a surprising Butler team in the finals on Friday. Butler upset 22nd-ranked Tennessee, 56-44, in the other semifinal.

Josh Heytvelt added 19 points, eight boards and four blocks for the Bulldogs, who earned their trip to the Big Apple by winning the West Region with victories over Rice and Baylor in Spokane.

Jeremy Pargo contributed 16 points and was brilliant down the stretch for the Bulldogs, who beat the highest ranked team in school history.

Brandan Wright paced the Tar Heels, who earned their trip to New York by besting Sacred Heart and Winthrop to win the East Region, with 21 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Bobby Frasor and Ty Lawson had 11 points apiece but Gonzaga held preseason All-American Tyler Hansbrough to nine points on 2-of-5 shooting.

Gonzaga took a three-point advantage into the second half and slowly began to pull away. A quick 8-0 burst capped by a three-point play by Matt Bouldin gave the Bulldogs a commanding 13-point advantage, 60-47, with 14:31 left.

The Tar Heels did not give up without a fight, however. North Carolina answered with a 21-10 burst to draw within a bucket. Hansbrough's follow-up dunk with 4:15 on the clock made it a 70-68 game.

Eighteen seconds later, Pargo sliced down the lane and deposited a layup while drawing contact. The ensuing free throw stopped the bleeding and gave the Bulldogs a bit of breathing room, 73-68.

North Carolina could only manage six points the rest of the way as Gonzaga held on for the victory.

The two teams played an evenly matched first half with the Bulldogs taking a slim 40-37 edge into the locker room thanks to the hot shooting of Heytvelt. The 6-foot-11 sophomore finished with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

Game Notes

UNC has had a tremendous amount of success in this tournament. This was just the third loss in school history. The Tar Hells are now 16-3 all-time in this tourney, including a pair of championships in 1998 and 2002...Tonight's game was the first-ever meeting between Gonzaga and UNC on the hardwood.