{"id":141800,"date":"2026-02-22T14:57:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T14:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/141800\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T14:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T14:57:13","slug":"mbb-rallies-past-syracuse-77-64","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/141800\/","title":{"rendered":"MBB Rallies Past Syracuse, 77-64"},"content":{"rendered":"

SYRACUSE, N.Y. \u2014Henri Veesaar<\/a> returned to the lineup and scored 19 points to lead No. 16 North Carolina to a 77-64 road win at Syracuse on Saturday afternoon in the JMA Wireless Dome. Carolina shot 61.5 percent in the second half to pull away from the Orange and grab the win.
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\nWith the win, the Tar Heels improved to 21-6 this season overall and 9-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Syracuse lost for the eighth time in 11 games to fall to 15-13, 6-9.
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\nVeesaar started at center after missing the previous two games with an illness and a lower extremity injury. He hit 9 of 13 shots on the day.<\/p>\n

“Henri had a huge impact on the game,” head coach Hubert Davis<\/a> said on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. “Having him back in the lineup was huge.”<\/p>\n

After leading by five points at halftime at 33-28, Carolina shot 16 for 26 in the second half to pull away and sweep the season series with the Orange. UNC also beat Syracuse, 87-77, earlier this month in Chapel Hill.

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\nSeth Trimble<\/a> went scoreless in the first half but starred in the second, hitting 4 of 6 shots with 13 points after halftime, adding five rebounds. Luka Bogavac<\/a> also scored 13 and grabbed six rebounds to tie his season high. Zayden High<\/a> scored nine points with a career-high 11 boards, barely missing his second consecutive double-double and continuing his recent hot play.

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\nJJ Starling led all scorers with a season-high 22 points on 10 of 19 shooting for Syracuse.

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\nThe UNC defense limited Syracuse to 3 of 17 three-point shooting while outscoring the Orange, 13-4, in points off turnovers. Carolina also dominated fast break points, 19-9

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\nThe Tar Heels started slowly, missing 11 of their first 15 shots, but rallied and led, 33-28 at the break. In the second half, Carolina shot 16 for 26 to finish at 51.9 percent in the game.

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\nHow It Happened

\nFirst Half

\n\u2022 Veesaar started after missing two games and played well in the first half, hitting 4 of 5 shots (including hitting his only three-point try) and leading all scorers with nine first-half points.

\n\u2022 Carolina missed 11 of its first 15 shots but trailed by just three, 12-9, at the second media timeout.

\n\u2022 Jonathan Powell<\/a> helped rally the Tar Heels early in the game. He hit a three-pointer from the wing to tie it at 12-12, Veesaar followed with a lefthanded jump hook and Powell hit another three-pointer for a 17-14 lead.

\n\u2022 The Tar Heels hit seven straight shots and held Syracuse without a field goal for nearly four minutes to take a 30-22 lead with under four minutes left in the period.

\n\u2022 UNC started the half shooting 4 for 15, then hit seven shots in a row and finished the half by hitting 8 of 13 attempts despite going without a field goal in the final 2:36 of the half

\n\u2022 The Tar Heels hit 5 of 11 three-point tries in the half while the Orange went 1 for 8.

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\nSecond Half

\n\u2022 Trimble scored six points in a row for the Tar Heels, who went on an 8-0 run to take a 52-44 lead. Carolina held Syracuse scoreless for 2:18 before the Orange called timeout with 9:49 remaining.

\n\u2022 Trimble’s three-point play with 8:06 to play gave Carolina its first double-digit lead at 56-46 with 8:06 left.

\n\u2022\u00a0High hit his second three-pointer of the year to give UNC its biggest lead at 59-48 at the 7:21 mark.

\n\u2022\u00a0Syracuse missed 8 of 10 shots late in the game as Carolina took a 65-53 lead with 3:42 to play.

\n\u2022 Carolina started the second half shooting 3 for 9 but hit 13 of its next 17 attempts to close the half. Meanwhile, Syracuse started the period 7 for 12 but then went 6 for 18 afterward.

\n\u2022 UNC outscored the Orange, 44-36, in the second half.

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\nUp Next

\nCarolina has a quick turnaround and will host No. 21 Louisville on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Smith Center on ESPN.

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