Caleb Wilson’s 20 points and 11 rebounds carried No. 14 North Carolina past USC Upstate to an 80-62 victory Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Jonathan Powell produced 17 points off the bench, Luka Bogavac tallied 15 points, aided by three 3-point baskets, and Henri Veesaar added 14 points and nine rebounds as the Tar Heels (9-1) improved to 7-0 at home.
Wilson shot 6-for-7 from the field, though he struggled on free throws by going 7-for-13. It was his third straight double-double and the seventh of his freshman season.
Learic Davis scored 14 points and Mason Bendinger posted 13 points for the Spartans (6-6), who had a two-game winning streak end. They shot 37.9% from the field and attempted just three free throws, making two of them.
USC Upstate opened by making 5 of 8 3-point shots on the way to a 21-18 lead with 8:36 left in the first half. But that also was the start of the Tar Heels’ 14-0 run that helped produce a 37-28 halftime lead.
North Carolina was boosted by 55.6% shooting in the opening half and feasted on points in the 18 points in the paint.
The Tar Heels stretched their lead in the second half, with defensive stops contributing. The Spartans had just two field goals in a stretch of four minutes as North Carolina increased its edge to 47-35.
Yet USC Upstate was within 58-50 before Derek Dixon and Powell connected on 3-pointers in a 26-second span. Later, it was 68-60 when Powell drained another 3-pointer and Wilson followed with a pair of free throws and a short jumper to spark a 12-0 run which put the game away.
North Carolina benefitted from the boost from Powell, who was 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 6-for-9 from the field on the way to tying his career-high point total. Powell reached double figures for the first time as a Tar Heel, with his production making up for starters Jarin Stevenson and Kyran Evans combining for just two made field goals and six points.
By game’s end, both teams made 10 shots from 3-point range. There were only 13 total turnovers in the game, with seven committed by USC Upstate.
