UNC pulls away in the second half, survives late charge to beat Navy, remain unbeaten

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UNC pulls away in the second half, survives late charge to beat Navy, remain unbeaten

Aidan Jensen, Tar Heels Wire · Tar Heels Wire

Tue, Nov 18, 2025 ·

5 min read

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The North Carolina Tar Heels stayed home Tuesday night, hosting the Navy Midshipmen in a tougher-than-expected, midweek basketball contest.

UNC and Navy traded several punches early, with the visiting Midshipmen trailing by just four at one point. North Carolina led by just seven at halftime, failing to put Navy away in the first 20 minutes.

Then, Caleb Wilson happened. Highlighted by a stretch of three consecutive Wilson dunks and unbreakable defense, the Tar Heels pulled away in second-half action for a 73-61 victory.

North Carolina etched itself in college basketball history with Tuesday's win, reaching the 2,400-win mark. UNC joined Kentucky (2,425) and Kansas (2,417) as the only programs to reach that storied figure.

Once again, Navy made things interesting late. Thanks to a lackluster turnover, Donovan Draper sprinted down the Dean Dome court and dunked it home, closing the Midshipmen's deficit to 68-59. After Jarin Stevenson drained a needed three for the Tar Heels, Jinwoo Kim drained a pair of Navy free throws.

The game ended with – who else – Wilson. North Carolina's star freshman, amongst the country's best players, pulled down a rebound to cap off his massive night.

Highlighted by a plethora of dunks, Wilson ended Tuesday with his third-consecutive double-double – 23 points, 12 rebounds this time. Wilson added four steals, three blocks, an assists and the energy boost UNC needed to pull away.

The Tar Heels won't return home until December 7, when they host Georgetown at 5 p.m. For one last time in November, North Carolina gave its fans something to remember – and survived a tough test heading into the Fort Myers Tip-Off.

Game over...Tar Heels win!

UNC fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief. North Carolina pulled away late, survived a tough charge and beat Navy, 73-61.

Tar Heels up 18...can they hold on?

North Carolina holds a 68-50 lead at the 4-minute timeout. Barring a torrid Navy stretch, UNC should have this one all locked up.

UNC run gives itself largest lead of the night

The Tar Heels' 14-2 run gave them a 63-42 advantage over the navy. This was North Carolina's largest advantage on Tuesday night.

Tar Heels starting to pull away

It's now 58-40 North Carolina at the under-8 timeout in the second half. UNC using a combination of strong defense and Caleb Wilson to pull away.

Here's the Caleb Wilson dunk in question

Caleb Wilson is taking OVER!

The Tar Heels' star freshman is involved in seemingly every possession since halftime – whether diving for loose balls, pulling down clutch rebounds or slamming home dunks.

Wilson and Veesaar recently connected for a give-and-go dunk, extending UNC's lead to 54-40.

Wilson has 17 points overall.

Emphatic slams force the Navy timeout!

Leading Navy by just four early in the second half, UNC needed a little boost. Jarin Stevenvson and Caleb Wilson happily provided that boost, delivering emphatic dunks in consecutive possessions.

Tar Heels lead Navy, 43-35, just three minutes into the second half.

THREE straight dunks from Caleb Wilson!

The Tar Heels now lead Navy, 49-38.

Perimeter shooting giving UNC a first-half advantage

The Tar Heels are shooting 5-of-10 from deep, compared to a 2-of-8 mark for Navy. This difference is a big reason behind North Carolina's halftime lead.

Navy scores just before halftime.

The speedy Midshipmen closed their gap to single-digits just before halftime, thanks to an Austin Benigni 3-pointer. UNC still leads Navy, 38-31.

North Carolina still leads at the under-4 timeout

The Tar Heels lead Navy, 34-26, with 3:18 left in the first half. The Midshipmen aren't going away just yet. UNC playing a slower-than-usual offensive style.

Think it'll happen?

Tar Heels lead at the under-8 timeout

Bogavac's hot mini-streak helped UNC push its lead over Navy to 28-19. Both teams are in the first half's under-8 media timeout.

Luka Bogavac reaches double figures

10 points with eight minutes remaining in the first half? Not a bad stat line for the Tar Heels' top shooter.

Kyan Evans snaps a drought for UNC

Evans drained a 3-pointer with nine minutes remaining in the first half, giving the Tar Heels a 23-17 lead and their first field goal in 4+ minutes.

Navy not going away

The Midshipmen trail UNC 20-17 approximately halfway through the first half.

Caleb Wilson dunks for your viewing pleasure

Both teams hot from the charity stripe

UNC and Navy are a combined 6-6 from the free throw line.

North Carolina defense looking strong early

UNC is holding Navy to just two makes on seven shots early, which equates to 28 percent.

Tar Heels up six at first TV timeout

North Carolina took a quick 7-0 lead against the Midshipmen, who quickly crawled back. UNC leads Navy, 12-6, at the first TV timeout just under four minutes in.