Three Takeaways from UNC’s win over Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech came to Chapel Hill badly needing a win against the Heels to bolster their resume for a possible NCAA tournament bid. UNC had been perfect at home so far this season and needed a win to continue to move up the ranks in ACC tournament seeding. Caleb Wilson had his cast removed earlier this week but once again could not suit up against a talented but erratic Hokie squad. What can we take away from the Tar Heels’ 89-82 win against the Hokies?

Bench stepping up in a big way for Tar Heels

On a night when starters Derek Dixon and Luka Bogavac contributed just seven points, Jonathan Powell poured in 15 points on five shot attempts, going 4-5 from three and 3-5 on free throws. 12 of those points came in the first half, when the Tar Heels offense struggled to create good looks in the paint and turned the ball over nine times. The third leading scorer for the Tar Heels on the night, Powell also pulled down five rebounds. While Powell scored 17 against USC Upstate earlier this season, this has to be considered Powell’s best game as a Tar Heel.

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Zayden High elevated his play in the the two games without Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar. His minutes diminished with the return of Veesaar, but High’s remained an effective presence. With Jarin Stevenson in foul trouble much of the game, High was again needed for major minutes. High consistently found ways to get to the free throw line, draining all eight attempts. Zayden grabbed five rebounds and continued to demonstrate a knack for getting a hand on rebounds heading towards an opponent, deflecting the ball to a teammate instead.

The pair of bench players combined for 27 points and 10 boards, as well as drawing critical fouls on Virginia Tech’s Amana Hansberry. Hansberry played only 19 minutes, well below his season average of 31, and fouled out with more than three minutes left in the game. For the game, Powell and High led the team in +/-, finishing +12 and +13, respectively.

Derek Dixon’s still the…

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Publish date : 2026-03-01 16:00:00

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