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UNC smacks Notre Dame for much-needed win Wednesday night
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- UNC smacks Notre Dame for much-needed win Wednesday night
Thanks to a winless road trip that included a second-half collapse at Stanford and a bad game at Cal, the North Carolina Tar Heels faced a must-win game Wednesday night against Notre Dame.
Outside of a slow-start, which featured a 1-point lead at the game's first media timeout, UNC controlled the Fighting Irish from opening tip. North Carolina dominated the Fighting Irish , 91-69, securing a much-needed bounce-back win and extending its perfect home record.
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The Tar Heels (15-4, 3-3 ACC), leading by just nine points at halftime, stretched that advantage to 70-45 at the under-12 media timeout. Henri Veesaar , who ended his night with a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double, was the main factor in UNC's hot second-half start.
If you watched North Carolina's road trip, you winced at the perimeter defensive struggles . Those surfaced early against the Fighting Irish, who shot 50 percent from deep at one point.
The Tar Heels locked in defensively, limiting Notre Dame to just 32 percent (8-of-25) from deep overall. UNC countered with 13 threes of its own, the most in one game this season, led by three makes apiece from point guards Derek Dixon and Kyan Evans.
Hubert Davis continued experimenting with North Carolina's (15-4, 3-3 ACC) starting lineup, opting for a smaller, higher-energy group. Jaydon Young made his first UNC start, Dixon started his second-straight game, while Veesaar, Seth Trimble and Caleb Wilson all remained.
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Speaking of Wilson, he anchored the Tar Heels' efficient attack by recording 22 points, most amongst all scorers. North Carolina shot 51 percent as a team, draining 31 of its 51 field goal attempts.
As UNC prepares for a trip to Charlottesville before winter weather blankets the South, Wednesday night's win is exactly what Tar Heel Nation needed.
FINAL: UNC 91, Notre Dame 69
The Tar Heels dominated the Fighting Irish from opening tip on Wednesday night, winning 91-69 in a game which virtually everyone contributed.
Caleb Wilson led all scorers with 22 points, Henri Veesaar notched a double-double and perimeter defense was a massive improvement.
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UNC up 25 in under-8 media timeout
North Carolina takes a 78-53 advantage over Notre Dame into the second half's under-8 media timeout. The Tar Heels are well on track to a much-needed, dominant ACC victory.
Get that man a double!
Henri Veesaar is a key cog behind UNC's hot second half start. He already has a double-double, thanks to 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Veesaar has 10 second-half points, while Notre Dame has just 12.
Let's up that lead to 25!
North Carolina's lead over Notre Dame is now 70-45, at the under-12 media timeout here in the second half.
UNC up 18 at under-16 media timeout in second half
The Tar Heels carry a 55-37 over the Fighting Irish, just 4:37 into the second half. Veesaar currently has 11 points, eight of which came since the second half started, while he's also on double-double watch with nine rebounds.
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Seth Trimble sitting out with foul trouble
Jonathan Powell checks in for Seth Trimble, just under three minutes into the second half. Trimble already has three fouls.
That's EXACTLY the kind of hot start UNC needs
North Carolina came roaring out of halftime, scoring eight straight points and extending its lead to 50-33, forcing a Notre Dame timeout.
Henri Veesaar already surpassed his first half point total, convering a hook shot and draining a 3-pointer. Derek Dixon added a three himself.
Remember this lineup from UNC's 2024-25 season?
North Carolina rolled with a smaller starting lineup during its 2024-25 campaign, which ended in a Round of 64 loss to Ole Miss.
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The Tar Heels started three guards tonight: Derek Dixon, Jaydon Young and Seth Trimble. UNC is operating with plenty of energy, particularly on the defensive end.
Henri Veesaar is a rebounding force tonight
Despite only three first-half points, Veesaar leads all players with six rebounds. Notre Dame doesn't have anyone in the paint who can match Veesaar's heights.
HALFTIME: UNC 42, Notre Dame 33
The Tar Heels carry a 42-33 lead over Notre Dame into halftime.
North Carolina has 21 of its first-half points from deep, making seven of its first 17 3-pointers. Derek Dixon is the only UNC player with multiple threes, while Caleb Wilson, Jaydon Young, Luka Bogavac, Jonathan Powell and Kyan Evans each have one make from deep.
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How about a Jonathan Powell three?
Keep the Dean Dome!
UNC leads by 10 in final, first-half media timeout
The Tar Heels carry a 35-25 lead with 3:18 left in the first half. Caleb Wilson just scored through a double-team, while Derek Dixon became North Carolina's first player tonight with multiple threes.
Caleb Wilson gives UNC a first tonight
Wilson makes both his free throws, extending UNC's lead to 26-17. This is the first time tonight North Carolina made both its free throw attempts in one trip.
Perimeter shooting barrage incoming?
North Carolina made six of its first 13 3-point attempts, possibly a good sign of things to come tonight.
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Caleb Wilson dunk forces the Notre Dame timeout
Henri Veesaar missed a contested layup in the paint, but lucky for him, Caleb Wilson cleaned that miss up with another big dunk.
UNC carries a 24-15 lead into the Notre Dame timeout. 8:27 left in the first half.
UNC defense much-improved early
North Carolina is holding Notre Dame to a meager 20% from the field right now. The Fighting Irish have just three makes on their first 15 shots, including a pair of threes.
Tar Heels take a 7-0 run into second media timeout
North Carolina only led by one at tonight's first media timeout. Thanks to a combination of lockdown defense and contributions from across the roster, UNC extends its advantage to 18-10.
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11:37 left in the first half.
UNC carries a narrow lead into the first media timeout
Just five minutes into tonight's contest, North Carolina leads Notre Dame by a slim, 11-10 margin. The Tar Heels are shooting the ball an efficient 67 percent, but the Fighting Irish have 3-pointers on consecutive possessions.
Opening block from Seth Trimble!
It means a lot for Jaydon Young.
New-look starting lineup
Derek Dixon gets his second-straight start, while Jaydon Young breaks UNC's starting lineup for the first time. Seth Trimble, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar all draw starts as well.
Something to watch for Saturday's game
A massive storm is projected to hit the Southeast this weekend, bringing a combination of snow and ice. Will the Tar Heels and Cavaliers still play at 2 p.m. Saturday, 12 p.m. or have their rivalry clash postponed to a later date?
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Will the boys be ready?
A pretty and cold winter night in Chapel Hill
Can UNC remain perfect in the Dean Dome?
North Carolina enters tonight's matchup a perfect 11-0 at home. Hopefully, there's no announcer's jinx by saying this.
Tar Heels playing their second and final January home game
Since turning over to all-ACC play this month, UNC is home for just the second time in 2026. The Tar Heels won their first home conference game in January, escaping Wake Forest in an 87-84 tilt.
What channel is UNC vs. Notre Dame on Wednesday? Time, TV schedule, radio
TV Channel: ESPN2
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Radio: SiriusXM (Channel 84 and 383)
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Website: WatchESPN
Where to watch UNC vs. Notre Dame on live stream
UNC vs. Notre Dame prediction, picks, odds
Wednesday presents a golden bounce-back opportunity for the Tar Heels, who hope to remain perfect at home. Notre Dame won't roll over, though, hoping to pick up its first ACC win in 2026.
North Carolina struggles, even against the Fighting Irish's spotty offense, but finds a way to pull through late. UNC shows a few signs of defensive improvement, particularly on the perimeter.
Score prediction: UNC 78, Notre Dame 72
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC controls Notre Dame Wednesday night in resilient win
