UNC Tar Heels Knock Off Virginia Cavaliers In Top 25 Showdown
In a game that swung from ugly to exhilarating, the UNC Tar Heels went into Charlottesville and pulled off a massive 85-80 comeback victory over the Virginia Cavaliers. It wasn’t pretty, it certainly wasn’t easy, but for Hubert Davis and his squad, it was the kind of grit-your-teeth win that defines a season.
A First Half To Forget For UNC
The first half was a disaster movie. UNC started the game shooting 1-of-5 from the field, looking disjointed and confused by Virginia’s pack-line defense. But the real story was the glass. Or rather, UNC’s refusal to clean it.
Virginia, a team not exactly known for being physical giants, was bullying the Heels in the paint. At one point, the rebounding disparity was 12-4 in favor of the Cavaliers. It felt like every time Virginia missed, they just got the ball back. They grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the first half alone, feasting on second-chance points.
Henri Veesaar had a particularly rough start. The big man looked lost for the first 12 minutes, shooting a dismal 1-of-6. Meanwhile, the Cavs jumped out to a 10-2 lead, and the murmurs of a blowout started circulating on social media. Even when UNC managed to tie it briefly at 14, Virginia’s efficiency just wore them down. The Cavs led by as many as 16, and the energy in John Paul Jones Arena was suffocating.
The Tide Turns In Charlottesville
Just when it looked like UNC was going to get run out of the gym, the guards woke up. Luka Bogavac and Derek Dixon decided they weren’t going down without a fight. Bogavac, who ended up being the surprising offensive anchor in the first half, drained key threes to stop the bleeding. A late 7-0 run cut the deficit to nine points at the break, 43-34. It wasn’t a great score line, but given how poorly they played, being down single digits felt like a minor miracle.
Then came the second half, and a completely different UNC team walked onto the floor.
Seth Trimble and the Transition Game
Finally, a Seth Trimble sighting! The senior guard, who had been quiet, came out of the break firing, knocking down back-to-back threes that acted like a defibrillator for the UNC offense. Suddenly, the pace changed.
Derek Dixon started dealing, looking for advance passes and pushing the tempo before Virginia could set their defense. This opened up the floor for Caleb Wilson, who threw down a breakaway dunk that forced UVA to burn a timeout. The 16-point deficit? Gone. The Tar Heels orchestrated a blistering 17-6 run to start the half, taking their first lead since the opening minute at 59-58.
Jarin Stevenson: The Closer
If Trimble started the fire, Jarin Stevenson poured gasoline on it. Stevenson played the half of his life, dropping 17 points in the second stanza alone. He was everywhere. He hit a deep three to break a tie. He drove to the basket for tough and-1s. He even drew a massive charge on the defensive end when UVA threatened to retake momentum.
When Virginia tied the game at 67, and again when they took a slim 73-72 lead with under four minutes to go, it was Stevenson and Wilson who had the answers. Wilson hit a dagger step-back jumper that sucked the air out of the building, and Bogavac iced it at the line.
UNC finished with five players in double figures—a testament to their depth. They overcame a sluggish start, a hostile environment, and a rebounding disaster to steal a win against a Top-15 conference rival.
