UNC Basketball's struggles continue as they fall at Cal

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Jan 17, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears forward John Camden (left) reacts after scoring while being fouled during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Zack Pearson, Tar Heels Wire

Sat, Jan 17, 2026 ·

2 min read

The North Carolina Tar Heels are glad to be on their way home and away from the West Coast after they closed out their two-game road trip with another loss. Following a disappointing loss on the road at Stanford on Wednesday, the Tar Heels looked like they were ready to pack it up before this game even started.

North Carolina looked sluggish from the start, and Cal took advantage early. The Golden Bears went on a 16-3 run early to open up a 26-13 lead with just over 11 minutes left in the first half. Cal did so with their hot shooting and poor defense for the Tar Heels.

The same issues that plagued UNC against Stanford did so again on Saturday in the 84-78 loss as the Tar Heels fell to 14-4 overall and 2-3 in ACC play.

Cal shot 50 percent from the field and 54 percent from the three-point line in the game, just exposing the Tar Heels' defense once again. That hot shooting helped Cal open up a 54-37 lead at halftime. The 54 points were the most UNC has allowed in a single half in ACC play since 2008.

The Golden Bears led by as many as 20 at 63-43 early in the second half. That led stayed at double digits for most of that second half, until UNC turned it on defensively.

The Tar Heels did mount a comeback late in the second half, going on a 10-0 run to cut the lead down to eight at 74-66 with over six minutes to go. A Derek Dixon three-pointer helped cut the lead down to 77-71 with 4:12 left in the game.

North Carolina even got it down to four points late, but Cal was able to put the ball away with good possessions on defense and hitting their free throws. The Tar Heels have allowed 58 three-pointers in the last four games, all ACC opponents.

For the Tar Heels, it's gut-check time. What started as a promising season has now spiraled and they are heading towards the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. They return to the court on Wednesday, hosting Notre Dame.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Tar Heels fall on road again, this time at Cal