1. Carolina was much more consistent in the second half and cruised to a 85-70 win over St. Bonaventure in Fort Myers.
2. The Heels are now 6-0 for the first time since 2016-17. That season worked out pretty well. And Tuesday was a solid win: St. Bonaventure came into the game 12-8 in the program’s last 20 games against Power 4 or Big East opponents, with none of those 20 games being at home. The Bonnies are a capable program.
3. Big day for Henri Veesaar, who set his career high in rebounds with 13 and set his career high in scoring with 24 points. He was the most impactful player on the court all evening, including defensively, where he picked off a couple of steals and contested several other passes.
4. Veesaar’s rebounding was important because it helped Carolina limit one of St. Bonaventure’s best offensive strategies–hitting the offensive glass. The Bonnies came into the game as the sixth-best team in the country by offensive rebound percentage, but the Heels limited them to just ten on 41 missed shots–well below their season average. Veesaar was a big part of setting that tone early by hitting the defensive boards, an area he said he’s worked on tirelessly with assistant coach Sean May.
5. A big part of the UNC edge was a dominant performance at the free throw line. Carolina went 21-for-27 at the stripe while St. Bonaventure was just 5-for-8. Free throws usually only get talked about when you miss them, but the Heels’ 78 percent mark was an important part of the win. Caleb Wilson, who had 20 points and 12 rebounds in a ho-hum double-double, was 10-for-10 at the free throw line.
6. Momentum-changing stretch in the first half. Carolina had built a 24-14 lead but then watched the Bonnies go on a 14-4 run to get back into the game–all of which was accomplished with a sizable group of Tar Heel reserves on the court.
7. A big part of that Bonaventure push was UNC’s carelessness with the ball. The Heels turned it over 11 times in the first half, which led to ten points. Caleb Wilson and Luka Bogavac were two of Carolina’s three leading scorers in the first 20 minutes, but neither scored after the 11:39 mark. Of course, they weren’t alone–as a team, Carolina made just three field goals over the final eight minutes of the half. They significantly cleaned up their ball-handling in the second half, committing just two miscues.
8. Derek Dixon was important in that improved second half play. The freshman was pressed into action when Kyan Evans picked up his fourth foul midway through the second half. Dixon, who had been -9 in the first half, put up a much better +3 figure in his eight second half minutes. That included five points and two assists in a solid stretch for the rookie.
9. St. Bonaventure broke a recent string by hitting over 41 percent from the field. Carolina had been the fourth-best team in the country in defensive field goal percentage, and the last three opponents had struggled to below 35 percent from the field. Darryl Simmons, especially, hit some difficult shots for his 22 points.
10. Tuesday marked just the second game ever between these two programs. The other was a 91-72 Tar Heel win in the 1968 East Regional (Larry Miller had 27 points and 16 rebounds in that game).
11. One of the more unusual fans in the stands on Tuesday: former Duke standout Carlos Boozer, who might be better known these days as the dad of current Duke standouts Cameron and Cayden Boozer. The elder Boozer isn’t a closet Tar Heel fan who wanted to see his favorite team play in Fort Myers; he’s currently a scout for the Utah Jazz and lives in Miami.
12. Thursday’s game against Michigan State is an important one for several reasons. The Tar Heels relish the chance to play against the nation’s best programs, of course. And although this event isn’t officially a tournament format, it would be a chance to go unbeaten in a multi-game Thanksgiving event for the first time since winning the Maui Invitational in November of 2016.
