UNC Men's Basketball Pulls Away in 2nd Half, Defeats Georgetown in 'Throwback' Game

On a night when Carolina paid tribute to the past at the Dean Smith Center, the Tar Heels showed why the future is bright in a 81-61 win against Georgetown Sunday.

HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/8tGNukWfhB

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 8, 2025

The Tar Heels led for more than 33 minutes on the night, quickly digging out of an early five-point hole to lead by as many as seven points in the first half. In the second half, Carolina limited the Georgetown offense to just eight made shots and 22 total points. The Hoyas shot 8-36 (22.2 percent) from the floor in the half, compared to UNC’s 13-27 (48.1 percent). Carolina outscored Georgetown 37-22 to break the game open after halftime.

“I think it’s great for us to learn lessons on what’s gonna allow us to be successful,” head coach Hubert Davis said afterward. “With the physicality, how were we gonna respond? And the way that we did, specifically in the second half, to hold them to just 10 points in the paint, zero fast-break points, I thought was huge.”

Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson each posted double-doubles, with Veesaar’s 18-point, 15-rebound outing his fifth of the season. For Wilson, the 20-point, 14-rebound night was his sixth. Freshman Derek Dixon finished with a career-high 14 points on 5-7 shooting off the bench.

“It makes it a lot easier, both offensively and defensively,” Dixon said of the performances of Wilson and Veesaar, “knowing defensively, if you get blown by they’re right behind you to be able to challenge at the rim. And then offensively, being able to play inside-out, getting us open looks, setting good screens for us and getting us open, and then we reward them.”

Veesaar also led the Tar Heels with three blocks, while tying for second on the team with three assists. Kyan Evans provided four of UNC’s 15 total assists, though the Colorado State transfer only played 20 minutes due to foul trouble, opening the door for Dixon’s career-best performance.

“Just seeing him every day get better, every game play better, being more calm and present in every moment, it’s amazing for the whole team,” Veesaar said of Wilson. “It’s awesome to watch.”

Luka Bogavac was the fourth Tar Heel to reach double figures, scoring 14 points in 31 minutes. But it was Wilson and Veesaar who played their way into the history books for Carolina. Sunday’s game marked just the second time since 1958 that two different Tar Heels have scored at least 18 points and grabbed at least 14 rebounds in the same game. Sean May and Marvin Williams did so for the 2004-05 team on their way to a national title.

With the contest being themed as a “Throwback Game,” the Tar Heels wore their retro jerseys, while the video boards inside the Smith Center displayed retro numbering and lettering. The program honored the 1982 national championship team – which defeated the Hoyas in the title game – throughout the evening. Sunday’s game was the first meeting between the two schools since the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

Sunday’s win improves Carolina to 8-1 overall on the season. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they host USC Upstate at the Smith Center Saturday, December 13 at 2 p.m.

Featured image via Todd Melet. For a full photo gallery of the game, click here.

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UNC Men’s Basketball Pulls Away in 2nd Half, Defeats Georgetown in ‘Throwback’ Game

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