Syracuse cut what had been a 32-point UNC lead in the second half down to as little as six points, but the Tar Heels held on to beat the Orange 87-77 at the Smith Center Monday night. It’s Carolina’s fourth win in a row.

Caleb Wilson led the Tar Heels with 22 points, missing out on his 12th double-double of the season by one rebound. Henri Veesaar did record a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, pulling ahead of Wilson with his ACC-best 12th of the season.

“People talk about their scoring and their rebounding,” said head coach Hubert Davis afterward, “[but] they check a number of boxes. They’re really good passers. And the chemistry between them has been there since they met… it feels like they’ve played together three or four years.”

UNC led by as many as 17 points late in the first half on the strength of a 12-0 run to blow open what had been a 34-29 game. The Tar Heels led 46-32 at halftime, with the Orange only stopping the run thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Donnie Freeman.

The Tar Heels then blitzed the Orange to open the second half, pushing the lead to 20 points inside of four minutes, then ballooning the advantage to a game-high 32 points at 72-40 with 9:56 remaining. The 32-point lead was UNC’s largest in an ACC game this season. From the time Syracuse got within 34-29 to the 9:56 mark of the second half, the Tar Heels outscored the Orange 38-11.

But the Orange clawed their way back – slowly at first (the score was 80-60 with 3:48 left) and then pushing hard with a 9-0 run in the span of just 51 seconds to pull within 82-75. It was 83-77 with 42 seconds left before UNC finally put the game away with four straight made free throws. During the Orange’s furious push, they outscored the Tar Heels 37-11 over a span of less than nine minutes of game time.

“That’s something that we have battled all year,” Davis said. “Our ability to stay on point. On script. And that’s something we need to fix now.”

UNC is now 8-0 against Syracuse at home, with all eight wins coming at the Dean Smith Center. Monday’s win improves Carolina to 18-4 overall and 6-3 in ACC play. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they host No. 4 Duke at the Smith Center Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

 

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

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
'This is a Horrendous Feeling': UNC Men's Basketball Faces Harsh Reality After ACC Tournament Exit
A locker room inside Charlotte’s Spectrum Center might seem like an odd place to see a fork in the road, but that’s exactly what the Tar Heels found when they trudged back inside following their 80-79 defeat to Clemson in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals Thursday night. Because now, Carolina can’t afford to play flat-footed basketball […]
Clemson Outlasts UNC Men's Basketball in ACC Tournament Quarterfinals
No. 5 seed Clemson made No. 4 UNC’s stay in Charlotte a short one, beating the Tar Heels 80-79 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals Thursday night. The Tigers were playing their second game in two days, while the game was Carolina’s first at the tournament. UNC led by six points early at 14-8, but Clemson […]
UNC Men's Basketball in the 2026 ACC Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Times
The 2026 ACC Tournament will take place in Charlotte this week. UNC received a double bye into Thursday’s quarterfinal round as the No. 4 seed in the field. The Tar Heels are seeking their first tournament title since 2016. If you aren’t following the team to Charlotte, here’s how you can follow along at home: […]
Chansky's Notebook: The X-Factor
With no Caleb Wilson for the remainder of the season, it’s up to UNC’s supporting cast to carry the water for the Tar Heels.
Here's the Complete Bracket for the 2026 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament begins Tuesday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. UNC is the No. 4 seed in the field and is seeking its first tournament title since 2016. Here’s the complete tournament bracket, which will be updated throughout the week: For ACC Tournament ticket information, click here. Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription […]
Chansky's Notebook: The State of Basketball
As usual, the state of North Carolina will be punching well above its weight in this year's NCAA Tournament.
UNC's Caleb Wilson Named First Team All-ACC, Henri Veesaar Named to Second Team
UNC’s Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar each earned All-ACC honors Monday afternoon. Wilson was named first team All-ACC, while Veesaar received a spot on the second team. Despite playing in just 24 games due to injuries, Wilson still finished as the UNC leader in steals (36), finished second in blocks (33, two behind Veesaar’s 35) […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Women Up to No. 15, Men Down to No. 19
Both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams made moves in the most recent AP Polls, which were released Monday. The women’s team moved up one spot to No. 15, while the men’s team slipped two spots to No. 19. On the men’s side, the Tar Heels dropped after splitting their final two games of […]
Caleb Wilson's Injury Stings for UNC Men's Basketball. Its Lack of Effort vs. Duke Stings Even More.
Whether UNC likes it or not, it will have to navigate the postseason without the services of injured freshman star Caleb Wilson.
No. 1 Duke Pulls Away in 2nd Half, Smothers UNC Men's Basketball in Regular-Season Finale
No. 1 Duke broke open what had been a five-point game at halftime with a smothering defensive performance in the second half, pulling away from UNC for a 76-61 win in the regular-season finale in Durham Saturday night. With Caleb Wilson sidelined after breaking his right thumb in practice during the week, the Carolina offense […]
›