Freshman forward Caleb Wilson scored 22 points in a record-setting outing as No. 16 North Carolina won its third game in a row by defeating Georgia Tech 91-75 in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
Henri Veesaar’s 20 points and 12 rebounds and Seth Trimble’s 18 points also were boosts for the Tar Heels (17-4, 5-3), who have won back-to-back road games after struggling away from home earlier during the league schedule.
Luka Bogavac, whose three 3-pointers marked the only Tar Heel with more than one basket beyond the arc on Saturday, added 16 points off the bench.
Wilson’s double-figure point total in all 21 games this season marks a program record to begin a career.
Baye Ndongo scored 27 points for Georgia Tech, which limited North Carolina to 8-for-31 shooting from 3-point range. Kam Craft’s 15 points and Kowacie Reeves Jr.’s 14 also helped the Yellow Jackets (11-11, 2-7), who dropped their third game in a row and lost for the sixth time in their last seven contests.
For North Carolina, Wilson and Veesaar combined to shoot 17-for-30 from the floor. UNC overcame a slow outing from starting guards Derek Dixon and Jaydon Young, who combined for five points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field. The Tar Heels led by as many as 21 points late in the second half.
Despite Ndongo’s 9-for-12 effort, Georgia Tech shot 45% from the field and committed 12 turnovers, compared with only two by the Tar Heels.
North Carolina, coming off a week-long layoff, rang up a 52-37 halftime lead, shooting 50% from the field while attempting only two free throws. Wilson and Veesaar combined for 25 of the Tar Heels’ first-half points.
North Carolina built a 33-21 lead in the half with the aid of six 3-pointers coming from six different players. The Yellow Jackets were 4-for-6 on 3s in the opening half.
–Field Level Media
