How Jarin Stevenson Saved UNC Against Virginia

Stevenson scored 17 points in the second-half in the Tar Heels’ win

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 #22-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels stormed back to steal a 85-80 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers, with an unlikely hero coming up large to save the Tar Heels.

UNC faced a 43-34 deficit at halftime on the road, trailing by as much as 16 at one point. With UNC’s recent struggles, especially on the road, the Tar Heels were going to need to bear down if they were gonna take down the #14-ranked Cavaliers. 

In a strange twist of fate, the Tar Heels were able to storm back in the second half thanks to the heroics of backup forward Jarin Stevenson. After entering halftime with 0 points in just 4 minutes of action, Stevenson scored all 17 of his points in the second half, knocking down a pair of three-pointers, and hitting 6 of his 9 shot attempts from the floor. 

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) shoots as Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Ryder Frost (7) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Stevenson entered the matchup averaging just 6.5 points per game, and hasn’t been considered as a major piece in Hubert Davis’ offense all season. His 17 points were a season-high, and the fourth time this season he’s scored in double-digits. Nonetheless, he was the hero for UNC against Virginia. 

Jan 14, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) shoots against North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Davis' thoughts

Davis was asked after the game about Stevenson’s breakout game.

• “We found a couple plays that worked for us that either got our guard going downhill, or got Jarin open for three,” Davis said. “Jarin, in those times, stepped up and knocked down some big time threes, and when [Veesaar] got in foul trouble, that was a lineup we had in there, and I kept it throughout the rest of the game because it worked on both ends.”

Caleb Wilson, who finished with 20 points in the win, was also impressed with Stevenson’s performance against the Cavaliers.

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

• “He played ridiculous,” Wilson said. “It was crazy, he did stuff on both ends. He did everything. I was getting subbed back in the game, and I was like ‘Coach, are you sure you want to put me back in?’ Because Jarin was in there, and he was doing his thing. But, I’m glad we were able to finish the game, and get a good win.”

The Tar Heels will now try to carry this momentum into the rest of ACC play after their win over Virginia pushed their record to 4-3 in conference play. Despite a slow start, UNC might finally be turning a corner after back-to-back wins this week.  

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