UNC Tar Heels
The University of North Carolina Tar Heels are one of the most storied athletic programs in college sports. Representing UNC–Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and are known for their tradition of excellence, sportsmanship, and championship pedigree across multiple sports. From the historic dominance of men’s basketball to the growing success in football, women’s basketball, soccer, and baseball — Carolina pride runs deep.
Football
Articles Written by: Aaron Lewis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Duke pulled off a late-game stunner on Saturday, reclaiming the lead on a 1-yard run by Anderson Castle with just over two minutes remaining and holding on for a 32–25 victory over rival North Carolina. The Blue Devils (6–5, 5–2 ACC) secured bowl eligibility with the win and ensured the Victory Bell stays in Durham for another year. Head coach Manny Diaz praised his team’s late-game composure, noting that his players once again delivered in the final moments of the rivalry matchup. Castle found the end zone three times from a yard out, but the game’s turning point came on a gutsy special-teams gamble. Trailing 25–24, Duke initially lined up for a 45-yard field goal. Instead, holder Kade Reynoldson pitched the ball to kicker Todd Pelino, who sprinted 26 yards down the left side to the UNC 1. Castle scored on the next play, and quarterback Darian Mensah connected with Nate Sheppard for a successful two-point try to stretch the lead to seven. For UNC (4–7, 2–5), Gio Lopez accounted for two touchdowns — one passing and one rushing — and Davion Gause added another score on the ground. The defeat eliminates the Tar Heels from bowl contention in Bill Belichick’s first season at the helm. North Carolina had one final chance to tie the game, but the drive stalled, and Lopez's fourth-down pass intended for Kobe Paysour fell incomplete with 1:18 on the clock. Takeaway: Duke bounced back after a roller-coaster stretch that included a marquee win at Clemson followed by disappointing losses to UConn and No. 19 Virginia. Despite letting a 24–10 lead slip away, the Blue Devils regrouped and closed the door in dramatic fashion. Photo Provided by: UNC Athletic Communications
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — North Carolina (4–6, 2–4 ACC) saw its two-game winning streak come to an end with a 28–12 defeat at Wake Forest (7–3, 4–3 ACC) on Saturday at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. The Tar Heels struggled throughout, giving up 216 rushing yards—the most allowed since their season-opening loss to TCU—and making costly mistakes on both sides of the ball. Wake Forest capitalized early when quarterback Robby Ashford scrambled for a 10-yard gain before redshirt senior defensive back Gavin Gibson forced a fumble. The Demon Deacons recovered the ball and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. The sequence came just after sophomore linebacker Khmori House missed an open sack, highlighting UNC’s difficulties in containing Wake Forest’s offense.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Demon June totaled nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns, while Gio Lopez threw for two scores, helping North Carolina overcome an early deficit and secure a 27–10 victory over Syracuse on Friday night, marking Bill Belichick’s first ACC win.
Virginia Outlasts North Carolina in Overtime Thriller
Men's Basketball
Articles Written by: Vickie Mathis
Business as usual in Chapel Hill 🐏💙 UNC shook off a slow start and steadily pulled away from ECU, using defensive pressure and depth to dominate both halves. Despite the lopsided score, Giovanni Emejuru was a bright spot for the Pirates with a career-high 13 rebounds. Poor shooting and turnovers proved too much to overcome as the Heels rolled to a 99–51 win.
Dixon’s clutch finish pushes No. 16 North Carolina past No. 18 Kentucky, 67–64 North Carolina escaped Lexington on Tuesday night with a hard-fought 67–64 victory in the ACC/SEC Challenge, thanks to a late surge from Derek Dixon. The Tar Heels’ reserve guard broke a 64–64 tie with a driving layup in the final 20 seconds and scored five of UNC’s final six points to secure the road win. Dixon totaled nine points, including a deep 3-pointer with under a minute left that gave the Tar Heels (7–1) a much-needed edge in a game that stayed tight throughout. Henri Veesaar paced North Carolina with 17 points, while Caleb Wilson contributed 15 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists despite a tough shooting night. Luka Bogavac added 12 as UNC knocked down six shots from beyond the arc and held Kentucky to just 1-for-13 from long range. The matchup featured constant swings—nine ties and 14 lead changes—with neither side ever pulling ahead by more than six. For Kentucky (5–3), Otega Oweh led the offense with 16 points. Collin Chandler added 12 and tied the game at 64 with a late layup, but later missed a potential go-ahead attempt with four seconds left. Wilson hit one free throw on the other end, then snagged the inbounds pass to seal the result. Kentucky struggled from the perimeter, missing its first eight 3-point tries before Brandon Garrison finally put one in with just over 13 minutes remaining. The Wildcats also endured a lengthy scoring drought of more than 10 minutes in the second half. During a media timeout after halftime, Kentucky fans welcomed newly hired football coach Will Stein—previously Oregon’s offensive coordinator—who received a loud ovation after being introduced.
UNC Basketball Cruises Past St. Bonaventure 85-70 in Fort Myers Tip-Off FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Tar Heels opened Thanksgiving week with a commanding 85-70 victory over St. Bonaventure on Tuesday at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Ranked No. 17 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the AP Poll, UNC (6-0) dominated the Fort Myers Tip-Off matchup, outpacing the Bonnies (5-1) with a strong second-half surge.
Wilson Leads No. 18 UNC to 73–61 Win Over Navy No. 18 North Carolina improved to 5–0 for the first time since the 2022–23 season with a 73–61 victory over Navy. The Tar Heels now shift their focus to the Fort Myers Tip-Off, where they’ll meet St. Bonaventure on Nov. 25. The headline once again: Caleb Wilson. After posting a double-double — including the first 20-point, 10-rebound game of his college career — against N.C. Central last week, the freshman earned high praise from NCCU coach LeVelle Moton, who described him as “remarkable.” Wilson backed that up on Tuesday night, finishing with 23 points and 12 boards, showing no signs of slowing his early-season momentum.
UNC Tops Radford 89-74 Behind Bogavac, Wilson CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — No. 18 North Carolina overcame a tough shooting night to beat Radford 89-74 at the Dean Smith Center. Luka Bogavac led four double-figure scorers with 19 points and five assists, while Caleb Wilson recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Henri Veesaar added 18 points and Jarin Stevenson contributed 15 despite missing part of the first half with an ankle injury. UNC held Radford to 34% shooting and forced 33 fouls, making 31 of 49 free throws. After a slow first half, the Tar Heels went on an 8-0 run to take control and never trailed again
UNC Overpowers Kansas With Huge Second Half, 87–74 No. 25 North Carolina flipped an eight-point halftime deficit into a convincing 87–74 win over No. 19 Kansas on Friday in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels erupted with a 29–9 run to start the second half and shot 66.7 percent after the break to take full control. Freshman Caleb Wilson led UNC with 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Henri Veesaar added 20 and Seth Trimble posted 17 points and eight boards while defending Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who scored 22 for the Jayhawks. Freshman Kyan Evans chipped in 12 points, all after halftime. UNC dominated the paint 48–20, won the rebounding battle 39–27 and committed only one turnover in the second half after giving up 17 points off miscues before halftime. The victory moves the Tar Heels to 2–0 and evens the all-time series with Kansas at 7–7.
Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Ciera Toomey scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while freshman Nyla Brooks added a season-best 18 points to help No. 14 North Carolina dominate UNC Greensboro 94–48 on Sunday. Toomey shot 9-of-12 from the field and also contributed four assists and three steals. Brooks went a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor, hitting three 3-pointers. Elina Aarnisalo and Taliyah Henderson each added 13 points, and Indya Nivar finished with 10 for the Tar Heels (5–1). North Carolina never trailed, opening the game with a 21–3 run in the first quarter. The Spartans (2–4) struggled, making just 3 of 13 shots and committing six turnovers in the opening period, as UNC took a 23–8 lead into the second quarter. The Tar Heels shot 66% from the field (39-of-59), 60% from three-point range (12-of-20), and scored 40 points off 23 UNCG turnovers. UNC Greensboro’s Jeni Levine led her team with 21 points, hitting three 3-pointers on 8-of-14 shooting, while Makiah Asidanya added 10 points. North Carolina has now won 15 consecutive games against UNC Greensboro.
Elon Guard Jayda Angel Out for Season After Early Injury Elon women’s basketball star Jayda Angel will miss the remainder of the season following an injury sustained in the team’s second game on Nov. 6 against North Carolina, Elon Athletics announced. Angel, last season’s Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year, went down while making a jump stop on a drive to the basket. Head coach Charlotte Smith expressed support for Angel, saying, “This is a heartbreaking reality that we will pull through together as Jayda’s Phoenix family. We pray for a speedy recovery for her.” Angel, who started both games this season after coming off the bench all of last year, was poised to step into a primary scoring role with last year’s leading scorer, Raven Preston, now transferred. She averaged 9.9 points per game last season and led all CAA rookies in steals per game. Elon Athletics did not specify the nature of her injury.
UNC Rolls Past NC Central in Season Opener, 90–42 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — No. 11 North Carolina opened its season with a dominant 90–42 win over North Carolina Central on Monday. Freshman Nyla Brooks came off the bench to score 15, while Ciera Toomey and Louisville transfer Nyla Harris each recorded double-doubles to help the Tar Heels extend their streak of season-opening wins to eight. Toomey finished with a career-best 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Harris added 12 points and 10 boards. Transfers Elina Aarnisalo and Indya Nivar also chipped in 13 points apiece. UNC controlled both ends of the floor, winning the rebounding battle 48–20 and outscoring NCCU 12–0 in transition. The Tar Heels built a 54–21 halftime lead behind strong first-half showings from Aarnisalo, Nivar and Brooks, who combined for 11 made shots before the break. UNC’s defensive pressure forced 12 turnovers in the half, turning them into 17 points. NCCU’s Morgan Callahan was limited to six points and seven rebounds, while Aysia Hinton led the Eagles with nine. NCCU faces a challenging December stretch featuring matchups with No. 2 South Carolina and No. 6 Oklahoma.