No. 18 UNC men’s basketball (5-0) extended its undefeated start to the season with a 73-61 win over Navy (2-3) on Tuesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center, once again leaning on strong second-half production to stay perfect in non-conference play. The Tar Heels, who have made slow starts a bit of a trend this year, relied heavily on first-year forward Caleb Wilson to break the game open after the break.
After a quiet opening stretch, Wilson burst to life offensively in the second half, pouring in 17 of his game-high 23 points in the final 20 minutes. His surge provided the separation UNC desperately needed, helping secure the team’s fifth straight victory to open the 2025-26 campaign. The impressive outing continued what has already been a standout freshman season for the young star.
UNC got things going early thanks to the frontcourt tandem of Wilson and junior center Henri Veesaar. The duo combined for the first seven points of the night, reaffirming the consistent interior dominance they’ve displayed through the first four games. That early advantage was soon boosted by first-year guard Derek Dixon, who knocked down a wing 3-pointer to make it 19-9 just over six minutes into the game.
Navy responded with an 8-1 run of its own to trim the lead to three, forcing UNC to reset offensively. The Tar Heels quickly regained control behind back-to-back 3-pointers from junior guards Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac, restoring momentum and reasserting the dominance expected from a Top-25 team playing at home.
Junior forward Jarin Stevenson then energized the crowd with consecutive dunks, extending the Tar Heel advantage to 32-20 with under seven minutes left in the first half. Both slams were products of sharp ball movement, as Evans and Veesaar delivered perfectly timed assists — a positive sign for a UNC team working to build more fluidity on offense.
Navy, however, refused to let the game break open, countering with a 5-1 spurt to remain within striking distance. After brief rest, Wilson and Veesaar checked back into the contest and stabilized the Tar Heels, helping extend the lead back to double digits at 38-27 in the final minute of the half. The Midshipmen converted late to pull within seven, with UNC heading into the locker room holding a 38-31 edge.
The second half opened with Navy narrowing the deficit to four, but UNC quickly responded with back-to-back dunks from Wilson and Stevenson that forced an early Midshipmen timeout. That sequence marked the beginning of what became “The Caleb Wilson Show,” as the freshman took full command of the game from that point forward.
Over the next nine minutes of game time, Wilson scored 14 of UNC’s 17 points, powering a decisive 17-5 run that pushed the Tar Heels ahead comfortably. With the offense clicking, Bogavac and Dixon drilled consecutive 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 66-44 with just over six minutes remaining, seemingly putting the game out of reach.
Navy made a late push with a 10-0 run, followed by a steal that cut the deficit to single digits, injecting sudden energy into the final minutes. But Stevenson silenced the rally, burying a clutch 3-pointer to put the game away and secure UNC’s fifth straight win. With momentum on their side, the Tar Heels will now turn their attention to their next test — a Nov. 25 matchup against St. Bonaventure at 4:30 p.m. in the opening game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
