UNC survives late scare from Wake Forest, wins first game in 2026
Back in Chapel Hill for their first home game of 2026, the North Carolina Tar Heels treated their fans to an instant classic on Saturday night against Wake Forest.
UNC appeared well in control of this game halfway through the second half, leading by as many as 15 points. The Deacs slowly climbed back in, knocking down threes and holding North Carolina scoreless for what seemed like forever.
The Tar Heels watched their second-half lead dwindle down to one point, but the Demon Deacons never took the lead. Thanks to seven late free throws and a few clutch defensive stops, North Carolina escaped with an 87-84 victory.
UNC (14-2, 2-1 ACC) won in the oddest of manners, making just two field goals in the final 10 minutes. Jaydon Young nailed a 3-pointer with 9:50 left, then Henri Veesaar dunked the basketball home just over eight minutes later.
Tre'Von Spillers and Nate Calmese single-handedly brought Wake (1-3) back into tonight's game, with the latter's 3-pointer closing Wake's gap to 75-74 – and later 85-84. Calmese and Juke Harris each scored 28 points for the visiting Deacs, who gave the Tar Heels all kinds of second-half trouble.
North Carolina inbounded the basketball to Jarin Stevenson , whom the Deacs immediately fouled, with five seconds left. Stevenson turned on his clutch factor, sinking both free throws and give UNC a much-needed cushion.
Calmese attempted a last-minute three from just inside halfcourt, but it missed wide and sent the Dean Dome crowd into jubilation.
Veesaar (25 points) and Caleb Wilson (22) each scored in double-digits, countering Wake's Harris-Calmese duo. The Tar Heels, which needed every bit of Saturday's win, did just enough to pull through and secure their first victory in the New Year.
FINAL: UNC 87, Wake Forest 84
Thanks to a pair of Jarin Stevenson free throws and Nate Calmese's miss as time expired, UNC survived Wake Forest for an 87-84 victory. This was North Carolina's first win in the New Year.
A Henri Veesaar 3-pointer!
UNC gets a big break.
Wake Forest throws the basketball away – and UNC calls timeout, up just 78-76 with 1:49 left in the second half.
North Carolina lead down to ONE point.
The Tar Heels are in big trouble, leading just 75-74 with 4:03 left in the second half. Nate Calamese forced a UNC timeout with his 3-pointer.
UNC maintains lead at under-8 second half timeout
North Carolina now has a 72-59 lead. 7:39 left in the second half.
Five quick Tar Heel points...another timeout!
Just under a minute later, UNC extends its lead to 69-54. Wake Forest calls timeout.
UNC maintains 11-point lead at under-12 media timeout!
The Tar Heels lead Wake Forest, 64-53, with 11:52 left in the second half.
Frame it.
UNC has a 11-point lead at under-16 media timeout
The Tar Heels take a 59-48 advantage into the second half's under-16 minute media timeout. Henri Veesaar scored North Carolina's first eight points of the half, followed by a Jarin Stevenson dunk.
Henri Veesaar is on FIRE!
Veesaar scored UNC's first eight points of the second half, thanks to a dunk and pair of three pointers.
Juke Harris keeping Wake Forest in the game.
Harris, a sophomore from Salisbury, N.C. who leads the Demon Deacons in scoring, has 16 first-half points. No other Wake player has double-digits.
Nearly another first-half double-double for Caleb Wilson
17 points, nine rebounds. That's Caleb Wilson's first-half statline, which included a few highlight-reel dunks.
UNC winning the paint battle
North Carolina is utilizing height to its advantage, winning the first-half rebounding battle 21-13. The Tar Heels have 28 of their 49 points in the paint, compared to just 14 for Wake Forest.
Tar Heels build first-half lead behind torrid shooting
UNC is shooting an extremely efficient 59 percent in the first half, making 19 of its first 32 shots.
HALFTIME: UNC 49, Wake Forest 38
The Tar Heels carry an 11-point, 49-38 lead into halftime over Wake Forest. UNC's lead dwindled down to as many as three points, but a strong finish extended their advantage.
Bill Belichick in the house!
UNC lead down to nine at under-4 media timeout.
UNC has a 42-33 advantage with 3:33 left in the first half.
Tar Heel advantage back up to 12 points
UNC now has a 29-17 lead at the under-8 minute timeout here in the first half. Caleb Wilson converted a full-court layup just before the break.
UNC baseball team in the house!
UNC lead cut to five at under-12 media timeout
The Tar Heels, once up 10 points in the first half here, only lead 22-17 at the under-12 minute media timeout.
Wake Forest comes roaring back
Down 14-4, the Demon Deacons later closed their gap to just three points on a Juke Harris 3-pointer.
Tar Heels off to a roaring start
UNC is wasting no time here in Chapel Hill, roaring out to a 14-4 start against Wake Forest at the first media timeout.
North Carolina's defense already forced five turnovers, with a pair leading to Caleb Wilson dunks. Henri Veesaar already has five points and two rebounds.
UNC setting the tone early.
The Tar Heels lead, 10-4, with 16:55 left in the first half. Strong defense, smart shots are big reasons behind the early lead.
How about a Caleb Wilson dunk??
Updated tip-off time
UNC and Wake Forest will now tip off 10 minutes later than originally scheduled.
Change in the starting lineup
Jarin Stevenson, who scored a season-high 16 points at SMU last weekend, will draw the start over Luka Bogavac tonight.
Henri Veesaar. A man of the people.
Jarin Stevenson. Seth Trimble.
What happened when UNC and Wake Forest last played?
UNC beat Wake Forest, 68-59, in the 2025 ACC Tournament last March. This win helped keep North Carolina's NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
Win #500 in the Dean Dome tonight?
What channel is UNC vs. Wake Forest on Saturday? Time, TV schedule, radio
TV Channel: ACC Network
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Radio: SiriusXM (Channel 84 and 391)
Website: WatchESPN
Where to watch UNC vs. Wake Forest on live stream
UNC vs. Wake Forest prediction, picks, odds
While Wake Forest has not gotten off to an ideal start, the Demon Deacons still pose a threat. This is an in-state rivalry game, and those can be unpredictable. Wake also has strong guard play and enough length and athleticism to challenge North Carolina’s struggling backcourt.
Still, the Tar Heels are positioned to respond. Expect North Carolina to pull away after halftime behind its Twin Towers, forwards Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson, along with guard Seth Trimble, and secure its 500th victory at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Score prediction:UNC 77, Wake Forest 65
All College Basketball Odds via BetMGM
SPREAD: UNC -10.5
MONEYLINE:Wake Forest +450, UNC -625
O/U TOTAL: 152.5
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC barely beats Wake Forest, wins by three in first 2026 home game.
