Hubert Davis Explains UNC's Crucial Late-Game Sequence

The North Carolina Tar Heels escaped with a 71-70 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

It was not a clean ending to the contest, as the Tar Heels blew an 11-point lead in the second half and were down by three points with less than a minute remaining in the game.

However, North Carolina forced a turnover on the second-to-last possession of the game, which led to Henri Veesaar's game-winning dunk with seconds remaining.

While speaking with the media during his postgame press conference, head coach Hubert Davis discussed what went into the forced steal near the end of the game.

Davis' Thoughts

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis on the sideline against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"Yeah, we were down by one and we picked up full court, and they were told to aggressively try to get a steal in the backcourt," Davis said. "If you don’t get it and get it to the front court, then we’re going to have to foul, and they knew which guys to try to foul. The hard thing, one of the many hard things with Ohio State is they’re a great free-throw shooting team, so it wasn’t a great choice, but we were able to get the steal."

After the turnover, the Tar Heels needed to orchestrate an open look. North Carolina was fortunate with how the ball spilled to Veesaar, who was unaccounted for in the lane, but Davis explained how Seth Trimble's ability to create off the dribble opens up space on the floor.

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) celebrates after a victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"We had a time-out left, and in that situation Seth’s ability to be able to create a shot for himself and for others is the best on the team from the perimeter," Davis said. "Putting the ball in his hands and kind of cleared out that side. They did a good job defensively, but he was able to find Henri around the basket and be able to score."

"We talked about it in the huddle," Davis continued. "Just two and a half hours ago if we say all we need to do is for four seconds play great defense to get a stop and get a win, would you take that, and they said yes. I said, well, that’s the reality. That’s all we have to do. We were fortunate enough to come away with the win."

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) passes the ball while falling to the floor against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

North Carolina's late-game operation was not the cleanest, but it made the crucial plays when it mattered the most. The Tar Heels enter Tuesday's matchup against East Carolina with an 11-1 record.

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