Tar Heel Triumphs: A Deep Dive into UNC Athletics

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— North Carolina showcased a formidable defense and a closing, 15-0 surge to overpower California, 79-53, on Wednesday evening in the Smith Center.

The Tar Heels delivered their top shooting first half of the season and restricted the Golden Bears to 53 points in total, the fewest scored by an opponent in 2024-25, marking the initial matchup between the institutions as Atlantic Coast Conference rivals. Cal’s point total stands as the lowest against UNC this season.

Ian Jackson topped all scorers with 20 points, contributing seven rebounds. He has surpassed 20 points in six of the last seven contests and has achieved this feat seven times in total during his freshman campaign. Elliot Cadeau netted seven of UNC’s first 16 points and recorded his 11th double-digit scoring game by halftime, finishing with 15 points—three shy of his season high—while also grabbing three rebounds and dishing out three assists. He was assertive offensively, converting 7 of a season-best 15 shots.

Seth Trimble added 12 points, making it to double figures for the first occasion since the UCLA encounter on December 21, also spearheading the Tar Heel defensive push with a game-high three steals. He converted all six of his free throw attempts while securing six rebounds. A total of nine different UNC players found the score sheet.

“I felt like Seth was exceptional with his energy, determination, and attention to detail,” stated Tar Heel head coach Hubert Davis. “He was everywhere, collecting rebounds, deflections, steals, sprinting in transition, finishing at the rim, passing and exhibiting overall activity on both ends of the court. He made impactful plays consistently.”

“Absolutely, today marked a significant move in the right direction,” Trimble remarked. “I felt completely like myself; however, I’m always critiquing my performance. Hence, one area I need to improve is shooting from the three-point line to provide a lift for the team. We’re getting closer, very near.”

 

The Tar Heels emerged from the locker room with great intensity, nailing 13 of their initial 18 shots and 17 of 30 overall in the first half (56.7 percent). It represented Carolina’s most impressive first-half shooting percentage in the Smith Center in over a year (since achieving 57.6 percent in the opening half versus Tennessee on November 29, 2023).

 

Cal’s Andrej Stojakovic, who came into the game averaging 20.3 points per contest and leading the ACC with 24.2 ppg in conference matchups, managed just two points in the first half on 1 of 8 shooting, primarily due to the defensive efforts of Trimble and Drake Powell. He missed 9 of his first 10 attempts, did not make his second field goal until there were under six minutes left, and concluded with six points on 3 of 13 shooting—his season’s lowest scoring performance. His prior scoring minimum was 13, and he failed to reach double digits for the first time in 17 games this season.

“I believe we played exceptionally well for the full 40 minutes,” Cadeau commented regarding their defensive performance. “Typically, in most games, we tend to perform well either in the first half or perhaps just in the second half. I felt like we finally executed a complete 40 minutes and maintained good play throughout. It was a significant point of emphasis for us at halftime. Coach consistently emphasizes this; he insists that statistically, our defense tends to decline in the second half during many of our games. He highlighted that, which motivated us to push harder in the latter half.”

 

The Tar Heels (12-6, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) secured their fourth successive victory and their sixth in the last seven contests. California (8-9, 1-5) experienced its eighth defeat in the last ten games. This marked the first clash between the two institutions since December 29, 1998.

Carolina held the Golden Bears to 34.8 percent shooting throughout the game, including 31.4 percent in the second half. Cal recorded 3 for 25 from beyond the arc (12.0 percent).

“Credit goes to Carolina; they played with outstanding pace and energy, but we need to show more commitment and resilience,” stated Bears head coach Mark Madsen. “At some point during the second half, our effort and resolve decreased dramatically, and that is unacceptable.”

 

 

 

How It Unfolded

First Half

• Carolina initiated an early 12-2 run to establish a 14-6 advantage just five minutes into the contest.

• The Tar Heels connected on 13 of their first 19 shots (68.4 percent) during the initial 12-plus minutes, creating a first-half lead that hit as high as 12 points before the break.

• Carolina faced a scoring drought exceeding 3:30 towards the end of the half until RJ Davis sunk his opening basket, a three-pointer with 40 seconds left.

• UNC shot 56.7 percent overall from the field in the first 20 minutes, marking its finest shooting first half of the season after 18 games. Carolina’s defense restricted the Golden Bears to 38.7 percent (including 1 of 11 from three-point range).

• Eight different Tar Heels contributed to the scoring in the first half.
 
Second Half

• The Bears reduced the lead, approaching single digits multiple times in the second half, but Carolina responded with a 7-0 run spanning 2:03 to extend their lead to 55-39 at the second media timeout.

• In the latter stages of the half, Carolina rendered Cal scoreless for over five minutes, embarking on a 15-0 streak to stretch their lead to 63-39 with 8:27 remaining.

• The Tar Heels ultimately led by as many as 27 points with just over two minutes left in the matchup.

 

 
Next Up

The Tar Heels will face Stanford in the Smith Center on Saturday afternoon at 2:15 p.m.