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  • UNC basketball holds off Ohio State. What we learned in the Tar Heels’ narrow win

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    Atlanta

    That’s probably not what Hubert Davis had drawn up, right?

    But, luckily for the Tar Heels, when Seth Trimble stumbled to the floor, Henri Veesaar was there to scoop the ball up and flush it home for a victory-sealing dunk. On the other end, Ohio State’s John Mobley Jr. missed a 3-pointer, the Buckeyes were blocked on the putback attempt and the No. 12 Tar Heels escaped with a 71-70 win over Ohio State (8-3) in the 12th annual CBS Sports Classic.

    UNC’s Henri Veesaar (13) dunks the go-ahead basket in the final seconds against John Mobley Jr. (0) and Christoph Tilly (13) of Ohio State during their game at State Farm Arena on Dec. 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
    UNC’s Henri Veesaar (13) dunks the go-ahead basket in the final seconds against John Mobley Jr. (0) and Christoph Tilly (13) of Ohio State during their game at State Farm Arena on Dec. 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox Getty Images

    Caleb Wilson and Veesaar combined for 37 points and 25 rebounds. Wilson didn’t score until three and a half minutes remained in the first half, but pulled down a career-best 15 rebounds in his Atlanta homecoming.

    The Tar Heels managed for nine games as Trimble recovered from a left forearm injury, but Saturday’s win over Ohio State at State Farm Arena showed, once again, how crucial the senior is to this team. Trimble, renowned as the Tar Heels’ best perimeter defender, took the tough assignment on Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton and made him fight for all 16 points. Thornton shot 7-of-16 from the field and also finished 0-for-4 from deep.

    “There’s really only one guy on our team that had any chance of getting a stop on Bruce Thornton,” Davis said. “And that was Seth.”

    Seth Trimble (7) of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after their 71-70 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Arena on December 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
    Seth Trimble (7) of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after their 71-70 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Arena on December 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox Getty Images

    Trimble, meanwhile, led the Tar Heels in 3-pointers made — going 3-for-5 from deep — as part of a 17-point performance.

    The game wasn’t without its warts, though. Davis once again hounded his team during the under-eight timeout after a particularly disjointed offensive stretch that saw UNC go scoreless for over three minutes. The Tar Heels weren’t spectacular on the defensive glass and nearly gave up the game after Mobley Jr. drained a late 3-pointer and drew a foul from Wilson.

    UNC has learned a lot over the stretch it played with Trimble unavailable. For one, its frontcourt duo is elite — among the best in the nation. The backcourt still has some question marks, but plenty of Tar Heels off the bench have stepped up and showed promise.

    This contest, too, provides lots of lessons. Here’s what we learned from this nail-biter in Atlanta:

    Another slow start, inconsistent stretches

    The timing of this game in the middle of a busy portion of the College Football Playoff calendar may have been apt. After six minutes of play in Atlanta, the score remained at a dismal 7-to-7.

    UNC has fallen into a trend yet again this season of slow starts. At least, that’s how some might describe it. Not Davis. After North Carolina’s win over ETSU, he painted the issue as more nuanced, coming down to inconsistency.

    “I wouldn’t necessarily say that we’ve consistently gotten off to slow starts,” Davis said on Tuesday. “I would say that, at times, we haven’t been consistent at the beginning. We’ve gotten off to a fast start, then we had a four [to] six minute lull on both ends of the floor where we allow a team to come back.”

    That’s exactly what happened Saturday against Ohio State. What started as three or so minutes of stagnant offense for the Tar Heels led to the Buckeyes clawing back from an 11-point deficit to two points and then, after Wilson fouled Mobley Jr. on the 3-pointer, Ohio State took its first lead since the opening minutes.

    And UNC nearly gave the game away, if not for Veesaar’s quick hands.

    “The best part of it is we have so much to improve,” Veesaar said after the win, later adding, “every game I feel like we can go back and watch film and there’s like, 16, 18 or 20 points that we could easily take away [by] not making our mistakes.”

    Caleb Wilson (8) of the North Carolina Tar Heels dunks against Christoph Tilly (13) of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half.
    Caleb Wilson (8) of the North Carolina Tar Heels dunks against Christoph Tilly (13) of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half. Kevin C. Cox Getty Images

    Trimble returns, boosts Tar Heels in transition

    Davis has said there’s nobody in the country he’d rather have handle the ball in transition than Trimble.

    Saturday showed why.

    After recording four fast break points over UNC’s last two games, the Tar Heels earned 10 transition points on Saturday. A large part of that, no surprise, was Trimble’s defensive prowess and ability to attack downhill.

    “Having that ability to strike and be able to finish and transition like him is real,” Davis said last week. “He’s another playmaker. So he can handle the ball, he can distribute, he can score. And then, defensively, you can make the argument he’s the best on-ball defender, perimeter defender in the country.”

    Seth Trimble (7) of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after their 71-70 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Arena on December 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
    Seth Trimble (7) of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after their 71-70 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Arena on December 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox Getty Images

    Six of UNC’s fast break points came courtesy of Trimble — and all of them came in the first half.

    Defensive rebounding woes arise again

    North Carolina conceded season-worst offensive rebounding totals against Georgetown and USC Upstate. In their win over ETSU, it appeared the Tar Heels had put those issues behind them.

    But, with seven minutes left in the first half, it was already clear UNC was having some issues on the defensive boards. At that point, the Tar Heels had relinquished seven offensive rebounds.

    The good news for UNC? The 12 offensive boards for the Buckeyes on Saturday translated to just seven second-chance points. That’s a testament to the Tar Heels’ length and ability to contest. The bad news? That conversion rate will likely be a lot higher as North Carolina gets into tougher competition later in the season.

    This story was originally published December 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM.

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    Shelby Swanson

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  • Henri Veesaar leads UNC basketball to win. What we learned about the Tar Heels

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    Fort Myers, Fla.

    Just last week, North Carolina men’s basketball held a players-only meeting to address what they felt was a lackluster performance against Navy.

    By halftime on Tuesday night — this time facing St. Bonaventure in Fort Myers, Florida — it appeared the Tar Heels might be heading for another postgame accountability talk. A double-digit lead had given way to a tied game late in the first half. Luka Bogavac, slowing down the tempo with a chance to add one more bucket before the half, turned the ball over with a carry.

    The whistle blew. Hubert Davis didn’t say anything. The coach just turned and put his hands on his hips. He folded his arms, paced the sideline. Davis then maintained a straight face as he lumbered off the floor and into the locker room.

    The coach must’ve saved his words for the halftime talk, because as soon as play resumed, the Tar Heels were off and running — en route to a comfortable 85-70 win over St. Bonaventure.

    “One of the things that contributed to them coming back in the first half — it wasn’t just turnovers — I felt that our shot selection wasn’t very good,” Davis said. “So that’s something we talked about as a team at halftime. It just has to be better.”

    Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar led the way for North Carolina with a career-high 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting, which he credited to his teammates finding him for easy layups. Veesaar also pulled down a career-high 13 boards. Freshman Caleb Wilson added 18 points — over half of them coming from the free throw line.

    North Carolina is now 6-0 to start the season. The last time the Tar Heels started the season with six straight wins was the 2016-17 season.

    Here’s what we learned from UNC’s first contest at the Fort Myers Tip-Off:

    St. Bonaventure with far more looks from the field

    When Veesaar took a look at the box score following UNC’s win over Navy last week, there was one glaring stat that first caught his eye.

    “I think they have more shots than us,” Veesaar said then, pouring over the sheet to confirm his suspicion. “Oh no. Yeah, they have more shots than us. So, like, that’s not good. We should definitely get more.”

    To be specific, UNC attempted 56 shots compared to 59 for Navy.

    Against St. Bonaventure, the gap was even worse. The Bonnies recorded 37 attempts to just 25 for UNC in the opening half. By the end, St. Bonaventure had taken 15 more shots.

    The Bonnies got more contribution from their bench (19 to 13 points for UNC) and took advantage of the Tar Heels’ defensive lapses — particularly in the first half — to cut baseline and find easy looks around the basket.

    “I think we had some communication errors in the first half,” said guard Kyan Evans, who finished with 11 points. “We came together and talked about that and wanted to fix that for sure.”

    Bonnies’ physicality a good tune-up for Michigan State

    St. Bonaventure has established itself as a threat to high-major opponents in recent years. Tuesday night showed why.

    The Bonnies excel at blocking shots, entering the contest against the Tar Heels averaging 5.8 blocks per game and a 16.8 block percentage — both top-25 marks nationally. That physicality down low and length at the rim made life difficult for UNC’s frontcourt, limiting some of the easy lob opportunities the Tar Heels have been able to rack up in recent games.

    St. Bonaventure also made North Carolina work on the glass. Despite the final stat line — UNC outrebounded SBU, 40-31 — the Tar Heels had to hustle for nearly every rebound. There were plenty of loose ball scrambles with multiple bodies, or moments where the ball was ripped straight from an opposing player’s hands.

    But, as Davis pointed out, the Tar Heels were able to adjust. UNC committed 11 turnovers in the first half, and only two in the second half. And after recording just 12 points in the paint before halftime, North Carolina finished with 36 on the game.

    “We were dunking everything, going strong,” Davis said. “If we didn’t finish strong or dunk, we got fouled and got to the free throw line. So, I just felt like we handled the physicality much better.”

    All of this as a result of a highly physical Bonnies team that tested the Tar Heels and will prove a valuable tune-up ahead of North Carolina’s matchup with Michigan State on Thursday.

    Wilson is at his best when the game comes to him

    After recording nine points in the first eight minutes of the game, Wilson went cold from the floor.

    The typically efficient freshman was just 2-for-7 before halftime, with five of his points coming from the free throw line. The second half saw Wilson sinking two of five from the floor.

    The freshman appeared to force shots at times through heavy traffic, or opt for challenging turnarounds and fadeaway jumpers.

    “All of our guys are really skilled,” Davis said. “They got a lot in their bag, and I know they feel like they can make plays. [It’s about] understanding when to make those plays and the right time to be able to do so.”

    Wilson’s 38.4 clip on Tuesday night is his second-lowest field goal percentage in a game this season. His lowest mark came against Radford on Nov. 11, when he shot 30.8% from the field on 13 shot attempts.

    That said, the Atlanta native was effective when he attacked the rim and drew fouls. Wilson finished 10-for-10 from the charity stripe and made up over a third of the team’s free throw tries.

    The Tar Heels rank top-30 in the nation and second in the ACC in free throw attempts per game.

    This story was originally published November 25, 2025 at 8:26 PM.

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    Shelby Swanson

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  • UNC upsets No. 6 NC State at home. Three takeaways from the Tar Heels’ win

    UNC upsets No. 6 NC State at home. Three takeaways from the Tar Heels’ win

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    CHAPEL HILL

    Call it Carmichael Chaos, because that’s exactly what it felt like.

    North Carolina (18-9, 10-5 ACC) upset No. 6 N.C. State (23-4, 11-4 ACC), 80-70, on Thursday night in Chapel Hill, with almost everything going right for the Tar Heels. The victory extended UNC’s win streak to three games and snapped N.C. State’s four-game road win streak.

    “We locked in on Tuesday, and we were very clear with how we wanted to play,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. “I’m so proud of them. They played exactly how we wanted to play on both ends.”

    The Wolfpack led by as many as seven points early in the first quarter, but it never came back after North Carolina took a lead at the end of the period. The defense, which averaged 59.8 opponent points per game, couldn’t stop the Heels. UNC finished with its highest point total since defeating Virginia, 81-68, on Jan. 14.

    N.C. State, however, gave up at least 80 points for the second consecutive game, despite holding Notre Dame under 50 a week ago.

    “Maybe we read press clippings too much after the Notre Dame game. That’s all we heard, ‘Oh, man, what a great defensive job,’” head coach Wes Moore said. “Well, we’ve come back down to earth now.”

    North Carolina’s Alexandra Zelaya is fouled by N.C. State’s Aziaha James during the second half of the Tar Heels’ 80-70 win on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
    North Carolina’s Alexandra Zelaya is fouled by N.C. State’s Aziaha James during the second half of the Tar Heels’ 80-70 win on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com

    Five UNC players finished in double figures, led by Lexi Donarski with 23 points. Alyssa Ustby added 11 points and 13 rebounds for her 15th double-double of the season. Deja Kelly finished with just nine points but dished out eight assists.

    The Tar Heels moved the ball well, recording 17 total assists on 32 made shots. They went 32-63 from the field (50.8%) and 11-21 (52.4%) from the perimeter.

    North Carolina limited its turnovers as well. It finished with just seven, a far cry from the 24 it committed against Wake Forest.

    “It starts with us. It starts with defense. We’ve got to turn it up,” guard Saniya Rivers said. “We’ve got to figure out what we’re gonna do, because we don’t have that much time.”

    N.C. State finished with four players in double figures. Aziaha James led all scorers with 24 points. Mimi Collins went 11 points, 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. James and Madison Hayes both logged nine rebounds, just one off a double-double.

    N.C. State’s Aziaha James drives to the basket against North Carolina’s Maria Gakdeng and Indya Nivar during the second half of the Wolfpack’s 80-70 loss on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
    N.C. State’s Aziaha James drives to the basket against North Carolina’s Maria Gakdeng and Indya Nivar during the second half of the Wolfpack’s 80-70 loss on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com

    The Pack’s efficiency wasn’t perfect, but Moore feels fine about the offense. It recorded 17 second-chance points, logged 11 assists and got to the line. It was really just the defense.

    “Seventy points ought to win a game. Eighty-five should win a game,” Moore said. “We’re fine there. We gotta guard somebody.”

    Here are three takeaways from the game.

    Wolfpack sags in second quarter

    Both teams got out to a hot start, shooting 50% or better in the first quarter, but only one team continued its consistency from the field and broke away.

    N.C. State made just three shots in the second quarter, going 3 of 21 (14.3%) from the field and making one 3-pointer. The Wolfpack missed nine straight buckets, leading to a 4:18 scoring drought to end the half.

    North Carolina’s Alyssa Ustby pressures N.C. State’s Madison Hayes during the first half of the Tar Heels’ game on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
    North Carolina’s Alyssa Ustby pressures N.C. State’s Madison Hayes during the first half of the Tar Heels’ game on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com

    The Pack couldn’t stop the Tar Heels on the opposite end, especially in the paint. It gave up 12 points and it didn’t matter who was in the post. N.C. State allowed six points when River Baldwin played at the five and when she sat on the bench.

    UNC scored 8 of 17 in the second quarter and recorded five assists on its made shots. The Heels took a 42-35 lead into halftime.

    The Wolfpack cut the Carolina lead to just three points twice in the third, but its defensive struggles allowed the Heels to respond each time.

    “We had plenty of opportunities to overcome the second quarter, but we didn’t do it and they kept hitting shots,” Moore said. “They kept executing and getting shots. You’ve got to play better than that on the road in this league. It’s a tough league, and they’ve got a lot of talent over there, folks. They’ve got a lot of nice players, so give them credit.”

    Zelaya, Donarski come in clutch

    Alexandra Zelaya and Donarski deserve a lot of credit for the Tar Heels’ performance, hitting clutch threes in the win.

    Zelaya recorded a career-high 12 points, which doubles her previous season high. Donarski tied her season high of 23 points, hitting five 3-pointers.

    The duo combined for 9-of-16 shooting from the perimeter. Two of Zelaya’s shots came in the first quarter, cutting the Wolfpack lead to one possession. Then, Donarski made a corner 3 with 19 seconds left in the first half, giving the Tar Heels their first lead.

    North Carolina’s Lexi Donarski reacts after knocking down a three-point basket during the second half of the Tar Heels’ 80-70 win over N.C. State on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
    North Carolina’s Lexi Donarski reacts after knocking down a three-point basket during the second half of the Tar Heels’ 80-70 win over N.C. State on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com

    The duo added a flurry of shots in the second half, including two straight from Donarski to put North Carolina up 11.

    N.C. State knew it couldn’t leave Donarski open, but it did and the Tar Heels executed.

    Zelaya said her job is to “stay ready,” and that’s a role she takes seriously. It’s also a role the team encourages. Zelaya said Donarski and Anya Poole constantly encourage her to take shots.

    “It’s almost like they’re threatening me. It’s like, ‘You better shoot or else,’” Zelaya said. “But I’m telling you, that mindset of, ‘My girls have my back’ — I feel like I could fly at that moment.”

    Emotions run high

    Some North Carolina fans like to say N.C. State isn’t its rival; that’s Duke. The highly charged matchup on Thursday night seemed to disprove that notion.

    Officials gave Banghart a technical foul 5:24 into the second half.

    Moore emphatically motioned to the officials after a no-call on River Baldwin, his face nearly matching the color of his team-issued pullover.

    N.C. State head coach Wes Moore reacts on the sidelines during the first half of the Wolfpack’s game against North Carolina on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
    N.C. State head coach Wes Moore reacts on the sidelines during the first half of the Wolfpack’s game against North Carolina on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com

    Fans erupted in displeasure when the officials called Kelly for her third personal foul with 1:10 remaining in the first quarter.

    And there was plenty of shoving, hands in faces from both teams — not just normal defense — and stomping from the benches when the players didn’t agree with an official. Moore’s passion — and outspoken nature — continued throughout the game. He pounded his fist on the scorer’s table with 14.2 seconds in the third quarter after James picked up her second foul.

    It could be argued there’s a lot to play for. There is. But it felt like more than that and UNC came out on top.

    This story was originally published February 22, 2024, 11:16 PM.

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    Jadyn Watson-Fisher

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