University of North Carolina Athletics
Monday, February 2
Chapel Hill
7 p.m.
North Carolina
18-4,6-3ACC
87
vs
77
Syracuse
13-10,4-6ACC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | 32 | 45 | 77 |
| North Carolina | 46 | 41 | 87 |
Caleb Wilson
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Wilson & Veesaar Lead 87-77 Win Over Syracuse
February 2, 2026 | Men's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Fourteenth-ranked North Carolina exploded for a 26-9 run to start the second half, outlasting Syracuse, 87-77, behind strong games from Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar on Monday night in the Smith Center.
The Tar Heels led by as many as 32 halfway through the second half before allowing Syracuse to close the game strong and pull within single digits in the closing minute. The Orange outscored Carolina, 37-15, in the final 9:38.
"We always talk about finishing halves, finishing possessions, finishing games and that's just unacceptable," Tar Heel head coach said of the late-game lapse. "Syracuse is a great basketball team, Coach [Adrian] Autry is a fantastic coach, and you can see they're extremely talented. But the last nine minutes and thirty two seconds: just a departure of what allowed us to get the lead."
Wilson had 22 points and nine rebounds, hitting 10 of 13 from the free throw line. He scored in double figures for the 22nd consecutive game to start his college career, extending his own Tar Heel record. He also posted his 16th 20-point game, most in history by a Carolina freshman, reaching at least 20 for the 12th time in the last 14 games.
Veesaar tallied his 12th double-double of the season, scoring 17 on 7 of 11 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Jonathan Powell had his first double-figure scoring day in 13 outings, hitting 3 of 4 three-pointers to finish with 12 points before fouling out. Luka Bogavac added 10 points as the Carolina bench outscored Syracuse's reserves, 29-16.
"It's big to have guys on the bench that you can trust to make timely shots down the clutch, and I feel like we have that," Wilson said of the Tar Heel reserves.
Carolina won its fourth game in a row and improved to 18-4 overall, 6-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Syracuse lost for the fifth time in its last six games, dropping to 13-10, 4-6. It was UNC's eighth win without a loss at home against the Orange.
Donnie Freeman scored 18 in the first half for Syracuse and finished with 23.
"We extended the lead, and then once we got to that 28 mark, we kind of let go," Veesaar said. "[We] felt like the game was a little bit over. And then [they] just started making shots, and we kind of got in a panic. We didn't stay calm. The situation just shows that you can't ever let off the gas."
Carolina shot 53.3 percent in the first half and is 13-2 this season when scoring 80 points or more. UNC hit eight of 18 three-pointers (44.4 percent) and has won 21 consecutive games when making more three-pointers than its opponents.
The Tar Heels have out-rebounded 18 of 22 opponents this season and are 105-26 under Davis when they have more rebounds than their opponents.
"Carolina set the tone at the beginning of the game with their physicality and their inside play," Autry said. "They started switching on everything. They were very disruptive and did a good job moving the ball from side to side."
Wilson scored 13 in the first half as the Tar Heels led for all but 16 seconds of the period and had a 46-32 advantage at the break. Carolina outscored the Orange, 23-8, in the first 8:27 of the second half to go up by 29 at the second timeout and cruised the rest of the way until Syracuse got within single digits in the final minute.
How It Happened
First Half
• Both teams started slowly with Carolina leading, 12-8, at the second media timeout 8:31 into the game.
• Veesaar and Powell hit back-to-back three-pointers to open UNC's first double-digit lead at 23-12, forcing an Orange timeout at the 8:52 mark.
• The Tar Heels led by double figures most of the rest of the half until Syracuse hit seven shots in a row and inched within five at 34-29.
• Carolina responded by scoring 12 points in a row to go back up by 17 at 46-29 minutes later, eventually leading, 46-32, at intermission.
• Freeman scored 18 points in the opening 20 minutes to lead all scorers.
• The Tar Heels hit their last five shots from the floor while Syracuse hit 8 of its last 10. Carolina shot 53.8 percent in the half.
Second Half
• Carolina ripped off a 13-2 run in just over four minutes to take a 29-point lead at 69-40 at the second media timeout after halftime.
• The Orange missed 13 of its first 17 shots in the half, shooting 23.5 percent in the span as UNC expanded its lead.
• The Tar Heels eventually led by as many as 32 as Syracuse didn't mount a serious threat in the second half until it was too late.
• The Orange used a 12-2 run to cut the UNC advantage to 80-66 with 2:17 to play, then hit a three-pointer to pull within 10 at 82-72 and forcing a Tar Heel timeout with 1:26 left.
Notes
• Carolina is 19-7 all-time against Syracuse, including 15-4 since the Orange joined the ACC. The Tar Heels are 8-0 in Chapel Hill in the series.
• Jaydon Young started his fourth consecutive game at guard alongside Seth Trimble, Derek Dixon, Wilson & Veesaar.
Up Next
Carolina will host No. 4 Duke on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the Smith Center.
The Tar Heels led by as many as 32 halfway through the second half before allowing Syracuse to close the game strong and pull within single digits in the closing minute. The Orange outscored Carolina, 37-15, in the final 9:38.
"We always talk about finishing halves, finishing possessions, finishing games and that's just unacceptable," Tar Heel head coach said of the late-game lapse. "Syracuse is a great basketball team, Coach [Adrian] Autry is a fantastic coach, and you can see they're extremely talented. But the last nine minutes and thirty two seconds: just a departure of what allowed us to get the lead."
Wilson had 22 points and nine rebounds, hitting 10 of 13 from the free throw line. He scored in double figures for the 22nd consecutive game to start his college career, extending his own Tar Heel record. He also posted his 16th 20-point game, most in history by a Carolina freshman, reaching at least 20 for the 12th time in the last 14 games.
Veesaar tallied his 12th double-double of the season, scoring 17 on 7 of 11 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Jonathan Powell had his first double-figure scoring day in 13 outings, hitting 3 of 4 three-pointers to finish with 12 points before fouling out. Luka Bogavac added 10 points as the Carolina bench outscored Syracuse's reserves, 29-16.
"It's big to have guys on the bench that you can trust to make timely shots down the clutch, and I feel like we have that," Wilson said of the Tar Heel reserves.
Carolina won its fourth game in a row and improved to 18-4 overall, 6-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Syracuse lost for the fifth time in its last six games, dropping to 13-10, 4-6. It was UNC's eighth win without a loss at home against the Orange.
Donnie Freeman scored 18 in the first half for Syracuse and finished with 23.
"We extended the lead, and then once we got to that 28 mark, we kind of let go," Veesaar said. "[We] felt like the game was a little bit over. And then [they] just started making shots, and we kind of got in a panic. We didn't stay calm. The situation just shows that you can't ever let off the gas."
Carolina shot 53.3 percent in the first half and is 13-2 this season when scoring 80 points or more. UNC hit eight of 18 three-pointers (44.4 percent) and has won 21 consecutive games when making more three-pointers than its opponents.
The Tar Heels have out-rebounded 18 of 22 opponents this season and are 105-26 under Davis when they have more rebounds than their opponents.
"Carolina set the tone at the beginning of the game with their physicality and their inside play," Autry said. "They started switching on everything. They were very disruptive and did a good job moving the ball from side to side."
Wilson scored 13 in the first half as the Tar Heels led for all but 16 seconds of the period and had a 46-32 advantage at the break. Carolina outscored the Orange, 23-8, in the first 8:27 of the second half to go up by 29 at the second timeout and cruised the rest of the way until Syracuse got within single digits in the final minute.
How It Happened
First Half
• Both teams started slowly with Carolina leading, 12-8, at the second media timeout 8:31 into the game.
• Veesaar and Powell hit back-to-back three-pointers to open UNC's first double-digit lead at 23-12, forcing an Orange timeout at the 8:52 mark.
• The Tar Heels led by double figures most of the rest of the half until Syracuse hit seven shots in a row and inched within five at 34-29.
• Carolina responded by scoring 12 points in a row to go back up by 17 at 46-29 minutes later, eventually leading, 46-32, at intermission.
• Freeman scored 18 points in the opening 20 minutes to lead all scorers.
• The Tar Heels hit their last five shots from the floor while Syracuse hit 8 of its last 10. Carolina shot 53.8 percent in the half.
Second Half
• Carolina ripped off a 13-2 run in just over four minutes to take a 29-point lead at 69-40 at the second media timeout after halftime.
• The Orange missed 13 of its first 17 shots in the half, shooting 23.5 percent in the span as UNC expanded its lead.
• The Tar Heels eventually led by as many as 32 as Syracuse didn't mount a serious threat in the second half until it was too late.
• The Orange used a 12-2 run to cut the UNC advantage to 80-66 with 2:17 to play, then hit a three-pointer to pull within 10 at 82-72 and forcing a Tar Heel timeout with 1:26 left.
Notes
• Carolina is 19-7 all-time against Syracuse, including 15-4 since the Orange joined the ACC. The Tar Heels are 8-0 in Chapel Hill in the series.
• Jaydon Young started his fourth consecutive game at guard alongside Seth Trimble, Derek Dixon, Wilson & Veesaar.
Up Next
Carolina will host No. 4 Duke on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the Smith Center.
Team Stats
SU
UNC
FG%
.446
.482
3FG%
.333
.444
FT%
.684
.714
RB
31
41
TO
10
11
STL
6
3
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
10
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
G
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