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UNC basketball's historic loss to NC State: What went wrong for the Tar Heels?
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- UNC basketball's historic loss to NC State: What went wrong for the Tar Heels?
No. 16 North Carolina definitely missed Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson on Tuesday night as NC State defeated the Tar Heels 82-58 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
It was North Carolina's largest loss in the rivalry since 1982, as the Tar Heels had no answers for NC State point guard Quadir Copeland, who scored a game-high 20 points along with seven assists and six rebounds while shooting 7-for-16 from the field.
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NC State made 31 of its 64 shot attempts (48.4%) while it smothered UNC's offense. The Tar Heels made just 19 of 60 shots (31.7%) and only 5 of 32 attempts from 3-point range. It was easily the Heels' worst offensive output of the season.
North Carolina center Zayden High, who filled in for the injured Veesaar, recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but he fouled out late in the second half.
The Wolfpack improve to 19-8 overall and 10-4 in ACC play, while the Tar Heels drop to 20-6 overall and 8-5 in conference play.
Here are the main takeaways from Tuesday night's game.
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Struggles on the Perimeter
Feb 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) shoots the ball during the second half against the NC State Wolfpack at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
As mentioned, the Tar Heels made only five of 32 attempts from three-point range, a dismal 15.7%, their worst mark of the season. It was just as bad on the defensive end, as the Tar Heels allowed NC State to hit nine of 18 from 3, an even 50%. It is the fifth time this season North Carolina has allowed an opponent to shoot 50% or better from beyond the arc.
Backcourt Struggles
Feb 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) reacts after scoring during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
The backcourt play was terrible all around.
Offensively, the guards made only 11 of 47 field goal attempts (23.4%) and 5 of 29 3-point attempts (17.2%). Derek Dixon and Seth Trimble combined to shoot 3-for-21 from the field and 1-for-12 from beyond the arc.
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Defensively, Copeland and Matt Able (19 points on 6-for-10 from the field and 5-for-7 from 3-point range) cooked them.
Turnovers
UNC committed 12 turnovers compared to NC State's four. The Tar Heels' miscues led to 16 points for the Wolfpack, while UNC managed just three points off NC State's turnovers. NC State finished with seven steals, and High and Bogavac combined for seven of UNC's 12 turnovers.
Issues in the Paint Continue
Feb 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Terrance Arceneaux (21) rebounds the ball against North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) during the second half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
Once again, North Carolina has not solved its issues in the interior.
While UNC outrebounded NC State 40-38, it didn't feel like it. That's largely because NC State grabbed more defensive rebounds (26-23) and outscored Carolina 17-12 in second-chance points, despite the Tar Heels holding a 17-12 edge on the offensive glass.
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North Carolina was also outscored 40-28 in the paint, making it the fourth time in the last five games that has happened. The one time the Tar Heels didn't get outscored in the paint was against Pitt last Saturday, when it was a 34-34 deadlock in points in the paint.
Most of Copeland's points were scored in the lane. Ten of Ven-Allen's 12 points also came in the paint.
While Veesaar and Wilson could have helped inside, Carolina's issues on the interior have existed even when they've played.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Takeaways from blowout loss to NC State
