The No. 18 North Carolina men’s basketball team continued its undefeated start to the season Tuesday night, defeating Navy, 73-61, at the Dean E. Smith Center. The Tar Heels (5-0) once again showed flashes of dominance mixed with stretches of inconsistency, but a commanding second-half performance by first-year forward Caleb Wilson ensured they remained perfect in non-conference play.
Wilson, who entered the game averaging double digits and showing rapid improvement each night, delivered his strongest performance yet. After a quiet first half, the highly touted freshman erupted for 17 of his game-high 23 points in the final 20 minutes, spearheading a decisive UNC run that ultimately separated the Tar Heels from a persistent Navy squad.
Head coach Hubert Davis noted after the game that while he appreciated the second-half spark, he wants to see a more complete 40-minute effort.
“I was disappointed in how we finished the game,” Davis said. “I felt like the sustained energy in the first half wasn’t there, but I thought we picked it up in the second half. We were playing well — just unfortunate that we didn’t finish the game better than we did.”
Early Battle in the Paint Sets the Tone
The Tar Heels once again established their interior presence early, leaning on the frontcourt combination of Wilson and junior center Henri Veesaar. The duo accounted for UNC’s first seven points, continuing a theme from the team’s first four games: Carolina’s big men are becoming the foundation of its identity.
UNC extended its early momentum when first-year guard Derek Dixon buried a wing three, giving the Tar Heels a 19-9 advantage just over six minutes in. But Navy, known for disciplined half-court execution, punched right back with an 8-1 run that trimmed the lead to three.
Junior guards Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac responded with back-to-back threes, re-energizing the crowd and restoring UNC’s breathing room. The Tar Heels’ ball movement improved as the half progressed, highlighted by two powerful dunks from junior forward Jarin Stevenson — both coming off pinpoint assists, one from Evans and the other from Veesaar.
Though UNC threatened to break the game open after stretching the margin to 32-20, Navy refused to concede. A focused 5-1 spurt cut the deficit to single digits again, and despite late baskets from Wilson and Veesaar, the Midshipmen kept things manageable at halftime, trailing only 38-31.
Caleb Wilson Takes Over
Navy scored the first points of the second half and quickly trimmed the lead to four. But UNC responded with an emphatic pair of dunks — one each from Wilson and Stevenson — prompting a Midshipmen timeout and shifting the momentum back toward Carolina.
From that moment, the game transformed into the Caleb Wilson show.
The freshman scored 14 of UNC’s next 17 points, attacking the rim with purpose, finishing through contact, and displaying a confidence that had been missing in the opening half. His burst powered a 17-5 North Carolina run that finally created meaningful separation.
“I was frustrated with my performance in the first half and I was frustrated the game was close,” Wilson said. “We’re supposed to be a top team in the country — there was no way that game should be close.”
Wilson’s energy lifted the rest of the squad. Defensively, UNC tightened rotations, forced turnovers, and generated transition opportunities. Offensively, the ball moved freely again, culminating in consecutive threes from Bogavac and Dixon that pushed the lead to 66-44 with just over six minutes to play.
A Shaky Finish Leaves Lessons to Learn
Just when it appeared the Tar Heels would cruise to a comfortable victory, Navy mounted one final push. The Midshipmen capitalized on several UNC defensive lapses and a few forced offensive possessions, stringing together a surprising 13-0 run that cut the lead to single digits and forced the Tar Heels to regroup.
Veesaar acknowledged after the game that the team momentarily drifted away from its principles.
“On the court we could see there were a couple selfish plays, or we didn’t give much effort on some possessions,” Veesaar said. “We didn’t move the ball as well as we normally do. Those are things we can definitely clear up in practice.”
Right out of Navy’s timeout, a steal and quick bucket brought the Midshipmen within nine. But Stevenson — steady and confident throughout the night — delivered the dagger, drilling a three from the left corner to put the game out of reach.
From there, UNC regained balance, controlled the glass, and closed the contest with poise.
Looking Ahead
Despite the imperfect finish, the Tar Heels still walked away with a double-digit win and several encouraging takeaways. Wilson continues to emerge as a potential star, Stevenson is proving to be a reliable two-way contributor, and the backcourt — though still finding rhythm — delivered timely shot-making.
North Carolina now shifts its focus to the Fort Myers Tip-Off, where it will face St. Bonaventure on Nov. 25 at 4:30 p.m. As competition stiffens, the Tar Heels will need to pair their explosive stretches with the consistency Coach Davis continues to emphasize.
For now, though, UNC remains unbeaten — and growing stronger with each game.
