Grading North Carolina’s Bench in Comeback Win Over Virginia

The Tar Heels' well-balanced attack was the deciphering factor in Saturday's win.

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) and forward Caleb Wilson (8) and forward Jonathan Powell (11) react in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels came storming back from 16 down to defeat the Virginia Cavaliers 85-80 at John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday afternoon.

All of the Tar Heels' weaknesses were being thoroughly exposed in the first half, especially on the defensive end of the court, as North Carolina allowed multiple offensive rebounds on several possessions, which led to second-chance points piling up for the Cavaliers.

Jan 17, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis (right) talks with guard Seth Trimble (7) during the first half against the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

North Carolina would recover well to end the first half, which carried right over into the second half, as the Tar Heels erased a double-digit deficit in the early minutes.

With all that being said, here is how the Tar Heels' bench graded out in the crucial road victory against Virginia.

Jarin Stevenson

Stat line: 17 points and 1 rebound

Jan 17, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (left) goes through a pregame routine with guard Elijah Davis (6) before the game against the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Alabama transfer was invisible in the first half, recording one rebound in the opening 20 minutes of the game. it was night and day when juxtaposing his impact in the first half and dominance in the seecond half.

During that span, Stevenson shot 6-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. The Tar Heels leaned on Stevenson and Derek Dixon in the second half, which proved to be the correct decision by head coach Hubert Davis, who highlighted the junior forward's performance after the game.

• “He can guard on the perimeter. He can guard on the post. He’s got size," Davis said of Stevenson. "He can move his feet offensively. We found a couple plays that worked for us that either got our guard going downhill, got Jarin open from three, or we got a little guy on Caleb [Wilson] down on the post by himself. And Jarin, in those times, stepped up and knocked down some big-time threes, and when Henri [Veesaar] got in foul trouble and got his fourth, that was a lineup that we had in there. And I kept it throughout the rest of the game because it worked on both ends.”

Grade: A

Luka Bogavac

Stat line: 14 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist

Jan 14, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) shoots against Stanford Cardinal forward Cameron Grant (20) in the second half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Without Bogavac, the Tar Heels may have been down by 20 points at halftime. At the end of the first half, the overseas transfer led North Carolina with 11 points, knocking down multiple highly-contested shots from the perimeter.

Bogavac slowed down a bit in the second half but still finished the game shooting 4-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. That is type of production and efficiency North Carolina has been looking for from Bogavac.

Grade: A-

For more North Carolina analysis and game breakdowns, click right HERE! Please make sure you follow us today on our Facebook page when you click right HERE!

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Tar Heels when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW