North Carolina basketball tops Radford, 89-74

Shelby Swanson, The News & Observer on Nov 11, 2025

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Radford was picked to finish fourth in the Big South this season, but that didn’t stop the Highlanders from testing No. 18 North Carolina early.

The Tar Heels knew they’d be playing this one without senior guard and captain Seth Trimble. But when Jarin Stevenson went down early — he appeared to roll his right ankle in the opening minutes — that put another UNC player out for a stretch. Factor in three first-half fouls for Caleb Wilson, and two for Kyan Evans, and that further complicated the picture.

Radford took advantage of these absences and plenty of UNC turnovers to grab a brief first-half lead. But Stevenson’s return to the lineup midway through the opening period stabilized the Tar Heels, who ultimately topped the Highlanders, 89-74, on Tuesday night at the Smith Center.

International addition Luka Bogavac led the Tar Heels with 19 points, while Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar added 18. Wilson struggled from the field, finishing 4 for 13, but pulled down 14 rebounds despite missing large stretches of the first half due to foul trouble.

The Tar Heels did it all without Trimble, who broke a bone in his left forearm in a team workout Sunday. Trimble said he had surgery on Monday and expects to be out for six to eight weeks.

The veteran, who sat on the bench with a cast on his left arm, accounted for 94.5% of the Tar Heels’ returning points from last season and averaged 14.5 points in first two games this year.

But, if Tuesday night proved anything, UNC should be able to manage this next stretch without Trimble. Here’s what we learned:

Veesaar, Stevenson get to the line

For two straight games, Veesaar has provided a bulk of UNC’s early offense.

Against Kansas, the 7-footer finished the first half with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including a pair of triples. On Tuesday night, it was more of the same. Veesaar led the Tar Heels in the first half with 11 points on an efficient 4 of 6 clip. This proved especially crucial as Wilson fell into early foul trouble.

Both Veesaar and Stevenson capitalized at the free throw line — shooting a combined 17 for 23 from the charity stripe.

While coach Hubert Davis has spoken at length about the positional size that players like Stevenson and Veesaar bring, the ultimate determining factor in winning, according to him, is taking care of the little things.

“It’s rebounding, it’s defending without fouling, it’s taking care of basketball, getting good shots, getting to the free throw line, making your free throws, getting second chance opportunities,” Davis said earlier this month. “So, you know, we can talk about all the size and athleticism. You just go down to those things and those will be the determining factor.”

Stevenson and Veesaar did just that on Tuesday night, attacking the rim relentlessly and disrupting Radford with their length at the rim.

And Wilson, despite a lackluster offensive night, pulled down 14 rebounds and shot 5-of-9 from the charity stripe.

The Tar Heels made 31 free throws out of an eye-popping 49 attempts.

Tar Heels still inconsistent from 3

When Bogavac finally sank his first three-pointer toward the end of the first half after starting 0 for 6 from distance, he threw his arm into the air in celebration. It’s safe to say his exuberance at sinking that shot spoke for the whole UNC squad.

The Tar Heels shot 28.6% from distance in the first half. Bogavac took up the lion’s share of these early attempts, going 1 for 6 from 3-point range in the first half. Jonathan Powell, playing limited minutes, accounted for half of UNC’s early triples on 2 of 2 shooting from 3.

North Carolina has averaged 24.3% 3-point shooting in its last two opening halves.

That said, UNC had gotten off to a great shooting start overall on the season. The Tar Heels shot 50.8% and 51.5% from the floor in their first two games. That’s the first time UNC has shot 50% or better in its first two games since 2021-22.

The Tar Heels extended that to three straight 50% or better games to start 2021-22, but Tuesday night’s 38.5% from the floor ensures UNC doesn’t match that streak this year.

Lots of minutes for backcourt

With Trimble out for at least eight weeks, this Radford game is the first of many opportunities for UNC’s backcourt reserves to step up.

Bogavac eventually found his touch and split ball-handling duties with Evans to great success. Both guards finished with five assists.

And, although Bogavac’s efficiency needs to shore up a bit — he shot 7 of 18 from the field — his impact was undeniable. Bogavac finished with a team-high 26 plus-minus.

Powell was also impressive, finishing with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting. He also added a block and a steal, but drew four personal fouls.

Derek Dixon finished with six points and added five defensive rebounds. Jaydon Young recorded just one bucket. Both Young and Dixon turned the ball over twice

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