Passed the Test: UNC Defeats Kansas in Convincing Fashion

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In what many considered a must-win game, No. 25 North Carolina surpassed expectations by defeating No. 19 Kansas, 87-74.

North Carolina (2-0) snapped a five-game losing streak against Kansas (1-1) with Friday night's win, a stretch that included a loss to the Jayhawks in the 2022 national championship game. The Tar Heels last defeated Kansas on Nov. 27, 2002, when UNC beat a Roy Williams-coached Jayhawks team—the eventual national runner-up—67-56 in New York.

Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Seth Trimble led the Tar Heels to victory. Wilson finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Veesaar contributed 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and a block. Trimble added 17 points, eight rebounds and three steals.

Darryn Peterson led Kansas with 22 points.

First Half

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis with Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self before the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The game opened at a fast pace, with Kansas forward Flory Bidunga knocking down a jumper in the paint on the first possession before Wilson added another jumper.

Peterson made a fastbreak layup, then Tre White hit a three-pointer to give Kansas a 7-2 lead with 16:12 left in the first half. But Veesaar answered with a three and Seth Trimble added a layup to tie the game moments later.

Later, after Kansas hit a couple of shots, Wilson grabbed a rebound and slammed it home to trim the deficit to one, as the Jayhawks held a 10-9 lead with 14:42 left. Both teams traded baskets before Peterson scored the next two for Kansas on an and-one and a jumpshot.

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Elmarko Jackson (13) shoots as North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After both teams traded baskets, Kansas took a 20-13 lead with less than 11 minutes left in the half following a jumper from Bidunga and a three-pointer by Tiller. But North Carolina answered with a 12-3 run that lasted about four minutes, highlighted by back-to-back threes from Zayden High and Veesaar, giving the Tar Heels a 25-22 advantage with six minutes to go in the half.

However, Kansas responded with a 13-0 run that gave them a 35-25 lead with three minutes remaining, after making four consecutive three-pointers—three by Tiller and one by Peterson.

North Carolina scored on two-point jumpers by Wilson and Veesaar, while Kansas got one more basket on a layup from Melvin Council to make it 37-29, Jayhawks, at the half.

Second Half

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) and Kansas Jayhawks guard Elmarko Jackson (13) fight for the ball in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina opened the second half with an 8-2 run, starting with Veesaar's put-back dunk and jumper. After Peterson scored on a layup for Kansas, UNC guard Kyan Evans fired a half-court pass to Trimble for a layup, then Trimble went coast-to-coast for another basket to cut the gap to two. Kansas called timeout with just under 18 minutes to play, holding a slim 39-37 lead.

Carolina traded baskets with Kansas, as Evans lobbed a perfect alley-oop to Veesaar, Peterson answered with a fadeaway jumper, and Evans drilled a three-pointer before Melvin Council finished a layup on the other end. Kansas held a 43-42 lead with 16:42 left in the second half.

Wilson gave UNC a 46-43 lead with two free throws and a tough jumper. After Kansas guard Kohl Rosario tied it with a three-pointer, Carolina answered with a 13-0 run, sparked by consecutive threes from Stevenson and Evans, back-to-back dunks by Veesaar and Wilson, and a Veesaar layup, making it 58-46 Tar Heels with 12:19 remaining.

Later, Carolina would go on an 11-1 run that was highlighted by back-to-back three-point shots from Jonathan Powell and Luka Bogavac to give the Tar Heels a 73-57 lead with 8:27 left. After that, the Tar Heels would hold on to a double-digit lead for the rest of the game

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Tre White (3) with the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina scored 58 points in the second half, shooting 66.7% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc. They also tallied 36 of their 48 points in the paint during the second half.

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