CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Interstat) — Caleb Wilson recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds Saturday as North Carolina defeated South Carolina Upstate 80-62 at the Dean Smith Center. The Tar Heels (9-1) led 37-28 at halftime and steadily pulled away before a crowd of 17,759. Luka Bogavac added 15 points, five rebounds and five assists for North Carolina, while Jonathan Powell scored 17 points off the bench. The Spartans (6-6) were led by 28 first-half points but could not keep pace. North Carolina’s defense held firm in the second half, limiting opportunities for a comeback. The Tar Heels shot efficiently from the floor and distributed scoring among multiple contributors to secure the nonconference victory.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Interstat) — Caleb Wilson recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds as North Carolina methodically dispatched South Carolina Upstate 80-62 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday at a sold-out Dean Smith Center. A crowd of 17,759 watched the Tar Heels, now 9-1, use a decisive efficiency advantage to pull away from the Spartans, who fell to 6-6. North Carolina scored 80 points on just 64 possessions, an offensive rating of 124.1, while South Carolina Upstate managed only 62 points on 65 trips, a rating of 94.8. The game’s most important sequence came early in the second half, when North Carolina extinguished any lingering hope of a Spartan upset. Leading 41-34 after a Mason Bendinger jumper for Upstate, the Tar Heels unleashed a 13-2 run over a three-minute span that showcased their superior firepower and ball movement. The surge was capped by a Caleb Wilson assist on a Luka Bogavac 3-pointer, pushing the lead to 54-36 with 16:49 remaining and effectively sealing the outcome. Wilson, a 6-foot-10 sophomore from Atlanta, anchored the Tar Heels on both ends, adding three assists and two blocks to his 20-point, 11-rebound performance. He was complemented by a balanced offensive attack. Henri Veesaar, a 7-foot center from Estonia, finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Bogavac, a guard from Montenegro, filled the stat sheet with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Jonathan Powell added 17 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers. The Spartans were led by Learic Davis, who scored 14 points. Tyler Smith contributed eight points, six rebounds and six assists, and Mason Bendinger added 13 points. The visitors struggled mightily with their offensive execution, shooting just 37.9% from the field and recording only two assists against seven turnovers. North Carolina established control from the opening tip, building a 37-28 halftime lead. The Tar Heels shot 50.9% for the game compared to Upstate’s 37.9%, and also won the battle from beyond the arc, hitting 10 of 23 attempts while the Spartans made 10 of 27. A significant disparity came at the free-throw line, where North Carolina attempted 22 free throws, making 14, while South Carolina Upstate went just 2 for 3. Defensively, the Tar Heels forced 10 Spartan turnovers and recorded five steals and three blocks, consistently disrupting Upstate’s offensive sets. The Spartans managed only nine offensive rebounds despite a slight 42-39 overall rebounding edge. The victory extends North Carolina’s strong start to the season, which includes notable wins over Kentucky and Georgetown. The Tar Heels will look to continue their momentum when they host East Tennessee State on Tuesday. South Carolina Upstate, which had won two straight entering the game, faces a quick turnaround with a road game at South Carolina State on Tuesday. The game played out largely as expected, with North Carolina covering the pregame spread as a 27.5-point favorite. The combined score of 142 fell under the over/under line of 146.5.

Preview: South Carolina Upstate at North Carolina CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Interstat) — The eighth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels look to continue their strong start to the season when they host the South Carolina Upstate Spartans in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday at the Dean Smith Center. North Carolina (8-1) has won three straight since its only loss, a 74-58 setback against Michigan State on Nov. 27. The Tar Heels are coming off an 81-61 victory over Georgetown on Dec. 7, a game in which forward Caleb Wilson scored 20 points and center Henri Veesaar added 18 points and three blocks. Veesaar, a key player to watch for the Tar Heels, has been a consistent force. He is averaging 16.0 points over his last five games, including a 24-point performance in a win over Saint Bonaventure. South Carolina Upstate (6-5) enters on a two-game winning streak, most recently defeating Western Carolina 78-67 on Dec. 6. The Spartans are led by guard Karmani Gregory, who is averaging 17.4 points over his last seven contests. He scored 21 points in an overtime win over Coastal Carolina on Dec. 3 and had 15 points and six assists against Western Carolina. The Spartans have faced a challenging early schedule, with road losses at Nebraska and UNC Wilmington. They will face their toughest test yet in Chapel Hill against a Tar Heels squad that has won all five of its home games this season by an average margin of 26.6 points. This marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs. For South Carolina Upstate, it is the second of three straight road games. The Spartans visit South Carolina State on Dec. 16. North Carolina will host East Tennessee State on Dec. 16 before a neutral-site clash with Ohio State in Atlanta on Dec. 20. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The Tar Heels are heavily favored, but will look to avoid a letdown against a Spartans team that has shown scoring capability, particularly through Gregory’s backcourt play. North Carolina’s size and defensive intensity, anchored by Veesaar, will be a primary challenge for the visiting Spartans.