Despite UNC missing 11 of its first 12 shots, the Tar Heels still found enough offense to beat Florida State 79-66 Tuesday night at the Smith Center in the team’s ACC opener.
Caleb Wilson recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 22 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, pacing the Carolina offense when it needed a spark. In the process, Wilson became the first UNC freshman ever to score at least 20 points in six consecutive games. Wilson also dished out a team-high six assists and blocked a team-high two shots, becoming the first Tar Heel to lead the team in points, rebounds, assists and blocks in a single game since Armando Bacot did so in 2023.
“Whether it’s a steal or rebound or dunk, it just ignites us,” head coach Hubert Davis said of Wilson. “He has that type of effect on this team and the crowd, and we feed off that. The plays that he makes, there’s plays that only he can make.”
Davis may have been referring to a powerful one-handed dunk from Wilson in the second half, one which electrified the Smith Center and set social media ablaze.
Wilson’s dunk was the highlight of an 18-3 run for the Tar Heels. The run came after Florida State had cut what had been a 12-point UNC lead in the first half to six points at halftime and then one point at 44-43 early in the second. Wilson, Henri Veesaar, Jonathan Powell and Kyan Evans all contributed during the six-minute stretch.
For Veesaar, the second half stood in stark contrast to the first, when the Arizona transfer went scoreless. Veesaar recovered in the second to record his eighth double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
“I wasn’t really performing or playing the way I should be playing,” Veesaar said. “I maybe was a little tired from getting back [from the holiday break].”
Tuesday was the seventh game this season in which both Wilson and Veesaar recorded double-doubles, which is already tied for third among all duos in program history. John Henson and Tyler Zeller set the record with nine such games in the 2011-2012 season.
Elsewhere, Evans set a new season high with five made three-pointers – his most since the season opener against Central Arkansas in November – while scoring 15 points. He had only made four threes across his last seven games. Evans’ 13 shot attempts tied a career high from his time at Colorado State.
“Everybody’s been talking to me, just letting me know they’re with me,” said Evans. “They want me to stay aggressive.”
Seth Trimble added a season-high 20 points, along with seven rebounds, two assists, a block and a team-high four steals. The senior guard was the engine in UNC’s fast-break offense, which accounted for 20 of the team’s 79 points (the most since the Central Arkansas game). Florida State had only four points on the fast break. Carolina also held decisive advantages in rebounding (47-37) and points in the paint (42-20).
The Seminole offense, which came into the game taking more than 36 three-pointers per game (third-most in the nation), took 40 more against the Tar Heels Tuesday and made 12. In total, the Seminoles took only 26 two-point shots.
UNC has still never lost to Florida State in head coach Hubert Davis’ five seasons in charge, extending its spotless record to 7-0. The Tar Heels are also 25-4 against the Seminoles at home, having not lost since the 2009-10 season. Overall, Carolina is 59-14 in ACC openers and 65-8 in ACC home openers. Tuesday’s win was also the program’s 499th at the Dean Smith Center.
The win improves UNC to 13-1 overall and 1-0 in ACC play, matching the program’s best start through 14 games since the 2008-09 season. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they visit SMU in Dallas Saturday at 2:15 p.m. Eastern time.
Featured image via Todd Melet. For a full photo gallery of the game, click here.
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