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Takeaways from UNC’s gritty milestone win over Wake Forest
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- Takeaways from UNC’s gritty milestone win over Wake Forest
After a rough loss to SMU last week, North Carolina squeaked out a close victory over Wake Forest on Saturday night to earn its 500th victory in the Dean Smith Center.
The Tar Heels built a 15-point second-half lead but nearly collapsed as Wake rode hot perimeter shooting to cut the margin to one several times, though it never went ahead. UNC made only two field goals in the final 10 minutes — a Jaydon Young 3-pointer and a Henri Veesaar dunk — and survived behind seven clutch free throws and timely stops.
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Nate Calmese and Juke Harris each scored 28 points and repeatedly burned UNC from 3-point range, with Calmese's late shots trimming the gap to 75-74 and 85-84.
With five seconds left and the Heels up two, Jarin Stevenson was fouled on the inbounds pass and calmly hit both free throws to create separation before Calmese's last-second heave missed.
Veesaar led UNC with 25 points, nine rebounds and four assists on near-perfect shooting, while Caleb Wilson added 22 points and 12 rebounds. Young chipped in 12 key points off the bench as the starting guards struggled, but perimeter defense and the continued shooting woes of Luka Bogavac and Kyan Evans remain concerns.
Here are some takeaways from the game.
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Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson Back on Track
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 10: Caleb Wilson #8 celebrates with Isaiah Davis #6 of the North Carolina Tar Heels after a dunk against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the first half of the game at Dean E. Smith Center on January 10, 2026 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
After SMU's defense smothered the duo last time out, Veesaar and Wilson both finished with 20-point games.
Veesaar scored 25 points with nine rebounds and four assists while shooting 9-for-10 from the field, 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and 5-for-7 from the free-throw line. He also had a block and a steal.
Wilson recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds. He also had three assists and two steals.
Luka Bogavac and Kyan Evans Struggle Again
Jan 10, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) looks to pass the ball against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images
While Seth Trimble had a modest 10 points and arguably his worst game so far this season, he hasn't struggled as consistently as Bogavac and Evans . The wing duo combined to make only one of its 10 field-goal attempts, with Evans scoring his only basket on a 3-pointer.
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It is the third time in the last five games that Bogavac has not made a field goal. He has only scored eight points in ACC play, all of which came against SMU. He has shot 2-for-13 from the field, which is a rigid 15.3%.
Evans scored four points by shooting 1-for-6 (all of which were 3-pointers) and made only one of three free-throw attempts — his first attempts since Thanksgiving Day in UNC's 74–58 loss to Michigan State. He has averaged 4.4 points in his last five games and has struggled mightily shooting the ball, hitting 28.5% from the field. All eight of his baskets in that span are 3-pointers.
Defense on Perimeter Remains a Concern
The Tar Heels allowed Wake Forest to make 14 of its 35 3-point attempts, roughly 40%. Calmese and Harris combined to hit 12 of their 23 shots from beyond the arc, 52%.
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Three games into conference play, North Carolina has allowed its opponents to shoot 39.2% from deep, which ranks 15th out of 18 teams in the ACC.
Jaydon Young Shines Off Bench
Young scored 12 points and dished two assists off the bench for the Tar Heels. Eight of his 12 points came in the first half, and he shot 4-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. He came up huge on a night when all three of UNC's starting guards struggled.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Baksetball: Tar Heels vs. Demon Deacons takeaways
