UNC basketball tops Radford. What we learned from the Tar Heels’ latest win

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 starter 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.

“I felt like we struggled at the beginning of the game, but I don’t think it was just not having Seth in the lineup. I think that contributed it,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said after the win. “Radford’s switching defenses, Jaren [Stevenson] twisting his ankle, him going out, Caleb [Wilson] getting in foul trouble. And so it caused us to play some different lineups.”

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 had surgery on Monday afternoon and said he 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.

“I felt like in the latter part of the first half, we started to find that rhythm,” Davis said. “I felt like we continued that pretty much the second half. But there were spots that, again, we still struggled in regards to defending without fouling, taking care of the basketball, boxing out, stepping up and knocking down free throws.”

Here’s what we learned on Tuesday evening:

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 four-of five 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 on the game.

While 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 [little] things and those will be the determining factor.”

Stevenson and Veesaar proved just that on Tuesday night, attacking the rim relentlessly and disrupting Radford with their length in the paint.

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

The Tar Heels made 31 free throws out of an eye-popping 49 attempts. That’s the most free throw attempts for UNC in a single game since 2004.

Still, Davis and his players weren’t satisfied with their performance at the charity stripe.

“We left 18 points at the free throw line,” Davis said. “That’s not just some.”

Tar Heels still inconsistent from three

When Bogavac finally sank his first three-pointer toward the end of the first half after missing his first five attempts from distance, he threw his arm into the air in celebration.

“Maybe I’m a little bit nervous, so this is why I missed a lot of shots tonight,” Bogavac said. “So I think with the time, it will get better, and me, I will feel more comfortable — because everything is new for me.”

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 one-for-six from three-point range in the opening period. West Virginia transfer Jonathan Powell, playing limited minutes, accounted for half of UNC’s first-half triples on two-of-two shooting from three.

North Carolina has averaged 24.3% three-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. The last time UNC shot 50% or better in its first two games was 2021-22.

On Tuesday, North Carolina finished 38.5% from the floor. Bogavac, though, hit his stride in the second half — making five of his 10 shot attempts after halftime.

“He can make those shots,” Evans said. “They were just off in the first half.”

Lots of minutes for the backcourt

With Trimble out for at least six to 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. The Montenegrin native finished with a team-high 26 plus-minus.

“I think he’s always a very confident player and somebody that’s very sure of himself out there on the floor,” Davis said. “I really felt like what got him going was getting to the basket, getting to the free throw line, getting a layup in transition... but as you can see, Luka has tremendous confidence in this game, and he continued to play and play well.”

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

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

This story was originally published November 11, 2025 at 9:32 PM.