North Carolina Battle Through East Tennessee State for 10th Win

The North Carolina Tar Heels are entering Tuesday night's game against East Tennessee State as the No. 12 team in the country. The Tar Heels are also striving to pick up their 10th win of the season.

Let's see if North Carolina was able to improve their performance from Saturday, which, despite a win, was an underwhelming outing for the Tar Heels.

First Half

Dec 16, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) shoots on ETSU Buccaneers forward Blake Barkley (13) during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Unlike Saturday, both teams jumped out to hot starts, with East Tennessee State connecting on four of their first five shots, and North Carolina went 4-of-7 in the first five minutes. East Tennessee State came to play, and both teams entered the under-15-minute media timeout tied 9-9. Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar have accounted for all nine points.

The next four minutes were exhilarating, as both teams looked to immediately push the ball down the floor off defensive stops. The Tar Heels would lead 16-14 with 11:01 remaining.

East Tennessee continued to give North Carolina trouble, with both teams entering the seven-minute media timeout tied 19-19. However, East Tennessee State's third-leading scorer, Blake Barkley, picked up his second foul with 8:22 in the first half.

Dec 16, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; ETSU Buccaneers forward Cam Morris III (15) blocks the shot from North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

With 3:54 remaining before halftime, the Tar Heels led 25-23, but the rebounding battle was becoming an issue. Up to this point, North Carolina had allowed five offensive rebounds, which East Tennessee State converted into nine second-chance points. On the other hand, the Tar Heels had one offensive rebound and two second-chance points.

North Carolina closed out the first half with a 13-7 run, extending their lead to 38-30 at halftime. Wilson picked up his second foul with 1:52 remaining. Veesaar led the Tar Heels with 13 points, shooting 5-of-6 from the field.

Second Half

Dec 16, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; ETSU Buccaneers guard Brian Taylor (11) drives between North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) and guard Derek Dixon (3) during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

It was a carbon copy of the start of the game, as Veesaar and Wilson accounted for all of the Tar Heels' points. It was a flawless start for North Carolina, orchestrating a 7-0 run to start the second half. Additionally, Barkley picked up his third foul 28 seconds after halftime. East Tennessee took a quick timeout with 18:29 remaining after falling behind 45-30.

At the midway point, North Carolina maintained a healthy advantage, leading 55-39 with 11:40 left in the game. The Tar Heels' size was beginning to overpower East Tennessee State, which had already committed seven fouls at this point in the half.

Dec 16, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; ETSU Buccaneers forward Blake Barkley (13) drives on North Carolina Tar Heels forward James Brown (2) during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

North Carolina blew the game open with a 15-0 run, ballooning their lead to 66-39 with 7:24 remaining. From this point forward, the game lost its competitive edge, and the Tar Heels coasted to a comfortable victory.

Final: North Carolina 77, East Tennessee State 58

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