The No. 12 North Carolina men’s basketball team shook off another sluggish first half and asserted its dominance when it mattered most, defeating East Tennessee State University 77–58 on Tuesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center. The win improved the Tar Heels to 10–1 on the season and showcased their growing ability to make in-game adjustments and overwhelm opponents with depth, physicality, and defensive intensity.
UNC didn’t put the game away early, but once the Tar Heels found their rhythm, the outcome was never in doubt.
Junior center Henri Veesaar delivered the best performance of his career, pouring in a career-high 26 points while grabbing eight rebounds. His presence inside and ability to stretch the floor proved too much for the Buccaneers to handle. First-year forward Caleb Wilson continued his impressive early-season form, adding 20 points and injecting energy on both ends of the floor as UNC pulled away in the second half.
Both teams came out firing offensively. Wilson opened the scoring with a corner three, immediately setting the tone, but ETSU responded in kind. The Buccaneers repeatedly found gaps in UNC’s defense early, using sharp backdoor cuts and patient ball movement to keep pace. Through the first four minutes, ETSU showed no signs of intimidation, trading baskets with the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.
First-year guard Derek Dixon knocked down a corner three, while junior guard Kyan Evans followed with one from the top of the key. Still, ETSU answered nearly every UNC push. At the under-12 timeout, North Carolina held a slim 16–14 advantage, unable to create separation.
“They were taking us one-on-one late clock, ball-screen action late clock, and really getting anything they wanted toward the basket,” head coach Hubert Davis said. “We had to clean that up.”
The familiar issue of slow starts lingered for UNC. Despite shooting an efficient 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc midway through the half, the Tar Heels found themselves tied with ETSU. The execution was solid, but defensive lapses prevented UNC from gaining momentum.
That changed late in the half. Crisp ball movement led to Evans drilling another three from the top of the key with just over five minutes remaining, giving UNC a 24–21 edge as ETSU went cold during a three-minute scoring drought. Moments later, Wilson electrified the Smith Center crowd, slicing through the lane and soaring for a powerful one-handed slam to extend the lead to 27–23.
North Carolina finally began to seize control as halftime approached. Veesaar buried a three from the wing, highlighting his versatility, and sophomore guard Jonathan Powell finished a fast-break layup. The Tar Heels entered the locker room with a 38–30 lead, having weathered ETSU’s early confidence and physical play.
Coming out of halftime, Davis made a notable adjustment, keeping junior guard Luka Bogavac on the bench in favor of Powell. The move paid immediate dividends. UNC opened the second half on a 7–0 run, capped by another Veesaar three-pointer that signaled the beginning of the end for ETSU.
The Tar Heels steadily tightened their grip on the game, using defensive pressure to fuel offense. By the under-12 timeout, UNC had stretched the lead to 55–39. ETSU struggled to generate quality looks, while UNC dictated the tempo and imposed its physicality.
“We really applauded ourselves for sticking to our principles,” Wilson said. “We focused on what we knew would win the game — defensive effort, being physical, and not letting anyone else dictate the pace.”
That focus turned into an avalanche midway through the second half. North Carolina erupted on a decisive 15–0 run over just 4:30, blowing the game wide open. Wilson capped the surge with an offensive rebound and putback layup, pushing the lead to 66–39 and forcing an ETSU timeout. The Smith Center buzzed as the Tar Heels showcased the depth and explosiveness that make them a threat on the national stage.
Bogavac eventually got on the board with a layup at the 6:56 mark, and UNC comfortably rotated players down the stretch. The Tar Heels cruised through the final minutes, maintaining control on both ends and closing out a convincing 77–58 victory.
While the slow start will remain a point of emphasis moving forward, UNC once again demonstrated its ability to respond, adjust, and dominate when it locks in defensively. Performances like Veesaar’s and Wilson’s highlight the growing balance of this roster — one capable of scoring inside, stretching the floor, and overwhelming opponents in waves.
North Carolina now turns its attention to a marquee matchup, traveling to Atlanta to face Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic on December 20 at 3 p.m. As the competition stiffens, the Tar Heels will look to build on this performance and continue their push toward national prominence.
