Five takeaways from UNC basketball’s preseason finale

Tuesday night had all the excitement in Chapel Hill. Not only did it mark UNC’s first home basketball game since early March, but also fans’ first time seeing Michael Malone coach inside the Dean Dome.

North Carolina welcomed the Charlotte 49ers, featuring former Tar Heels Wes Miller and Marcus Paige, for one final exhibition tilt. UNC showed how good of a team it can be vs. USC, beating the Trojans by 18 in their preseason opener, while struggling greatly at Indiana.

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North Carolina nearly suffered another loss on Tuesday, but roared back in the fourth quarter and dominated in overtime, beating Charlotte 89-82 in a closer-than-expected result.

Terrence Brown starred in front of his new home crowd, leading all scorers with 27 points. Brown delivered the game-tying free throw late in regulation, thanks to a mental blunder by the 49ers, then scored the Tar Heels’ final three points in overtime.

UNC shot under 25 percent at one point in the first half, but the best way to break out of a slump is to keep shooting. North Carolina took that to heart, ending over 50% from the field. The Tar Heels struggled defensively, allowing the 49ers to build a 14-point lead early, but limited their opponents to just two overtime makes.

UNC struggled on the offensive glass, allowing too many second-chance points, but did a solid job finishing at the hoop. North Carolina missed 10 free throws, an area it struggled in at Indiana, but sent the game to overtime at the charity stripe.

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Games now count for the Tar Heels, who host Western Carolina on Monday at 7 p.m. for their regular season opener. Until then, read our top five takeaways from tonight’s preseason finale.

UNC will count on Terrence Brown plenty for big games

North Carolina Tar Heels guard Terrence Brown (1) goes up for a basket Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, during the first half of an exhibition game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Every good team has a go-to scorer who can close games in clutch moments. On Tuesday…

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Publish date : 2026-10-28 12:31:00

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