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Henri Veesaar delivered one of his top scoring performances of the season, pouring in 26 points to lead No. 18 North Carolina past Virginia Tech 89-82 on Saturday night. Seth Trimble added 20 points as the Tar Heels used a strong second half to secure the win.
Jonathan Powell provided a key spark off the bench with 15 points, including 13 before halftime, helping North Carolina keep pace in a tightly contested opening period.
The Tar Heels (23-6, 11-5 ACC) created separation midway through the second half. Veesaar’s hook shot with 6:59 remaining pushed the lead to 73-63, marking the first double-digit advantage of the night. He finished 11-of-20 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds and matched his season high of 26 points — the third time he has reached that mark, most recently in a January loss to Stanford.
Virginia Tech (18-11, 7-9 ACC) refused to fade, trimming the deficit to five points with 2:45 to play. North Carolina managed just one field goal over the final 6:22 but sealed the victory at the free-throw line down the stretch.
Neoklis Avdalas paced the Hokies with 19 points. Tobi Lawal and Ben Hammond each contributed 16 as Virginia Tech dropped its third game in the last four outings.
North Carolina continued to adjust without leading scorer and rebounder Caleb Wilson, who missed his fifth straight game after fracturing his left hand against Miami on Feb. 10. The Tar Heels improved to 4-1 during his absence.
Earlier in the contest, Virginia Tech endured a three-minute scoring drought, allowing North Carolina to string together nine consecutive points for a 21-16 lead. The Tar Heels twice built eight-point cushions in the first half, but the teams entered the locker room tied at 44-44.
With the victory, North Carolina improved to 17-0 at home, matching its highest single-season win total at the Dean E. Smith Center. The program previously won 17 home games during the 2011-12 campaign.