By R.L. Bynum
BERKELEY, Calif. — By the time North Carolina addressed its biggest issues — defense, rebounding and free-throw shooting — it was too late, even after an electric rally that put Cal on its heels.
The No. 14 Tar Heels dug a 20-point hole with defensive breakdowns that felt all too familiar, as communication contributed to many open 3-pointers.
Coach Hubert Davis said the difference after halftime was clear.
“There was a sense of urgency that wasn’t there,” Davis said of the first 25 minutes of the game.
That lack of urgency allowed Cal to build a commanding lead, and the Bears held on for an 84–78 victory Saturday before a packed Haas Pavilion, snapping a three-game losing streak.
For the third consecutive game, shots for Caleb Wilson (team-high 17 points, four assists, team-high plus-6) largely disappeared in the second half, as he didn’t take a shot in the final 15 minutes. Still, his activity in the press helped ignite the comeback, something Davis said “did help us today.”
Cal (14–5, 2–4 ACC) never trailed while pushing North Carolina (14–4, 2–3) closer to the NCAA tournament bubble. The Bears knocked down 14 3-pointers, making UNC’s last four opponents a scorching 70 of 156 from beyond the arc.
Davis pointed not to the makes themselves, but to how they happened.
“It’s not the end result,” he said. “It’s the initial position, the urgency and closeouts, the rotations.”
Cal entered the game last in the ACC in offensive rebounding (305th in the country) and 17th in the ACC in rebounding margin (-1.83), yet outrebounded UNC by four in the first half and matched the Heels’ total (34) for the game.
“I always believe rebounding is the number one determining factor of an outcome of a game,” Davis said. “We had a 30% offensive rebounding percentage; that’s nowhere close to the goal that we have every game. Our lack of ability to dominate the boards was a huge factor in the outcome of the game.”
Although Cal was the latest team to be very physical with the Tar Heels inside, Davis didn’t think that was the reason for the rebounding issues.
“It’s about a will and a want to,” Davis said. “Whether it is the defensive rebounding or trying to get a second-chance opportunity on the offensive end.”
UNC made only five of 10 free throws in the first half before going 12 of 18 after halftime. Better first-half success at the line probably could have turned this into a UNC win.
Davis shuffled his starting lineup, giving freshman guard Derek Dixon his first career start. Dixon finished with 14 points, nine after halftime, and hit a team-high four 3-pointers. Davis downplayed the significance of the change, saying he wanted “some different rotations out there on the floor.”
Dixon said his approach didn’t change.
“Just nothing changes,” Dixon said. “Just be me, be vocal, lead us to start the game.”
Henri Veesaar (14 points, 10 rebounds) had another double-double but UNC’s best 3-pointer shooter went 1 of 6 from outside the arc.
Cal opened the game with seven straight points before a 10–3 UNC run tied the game at 16:16 of the first half on corner 3-pointers by Dixon and Seth Trimble (12 points, 4 assists). But the Bears answered with a 16–3 burst fueled by five UNC turnovers.
Eight straight Wilson points — back-to-back layups, two free throws and a layup — and his steal ignited a 13–5 run. A Jonathan Powell 3-pointer and a pair of his free throws and two Veesaar free throws at 6:51 sliced the lead to five at 7:54 as UNC went to a 2–3 zone during the run.
Cal responded with a 12–3 run to shove its lead back to 14, 43–29, on a 3-pointer at 3:48 from John Camden (game-high 20 points and four 3-pointers). A Pippen 3 and jumper from Dai Dai Ames (19 points, three 3-pointers) pushed it to 17, and Cal’s 54–37 lead was UNC’s biggest halftime deficit of the season.
An Ames 3-pointer early in the second half made it a 20-point game.
That’s when UNC finally responded with energy and pressure. Dixon said the press changed the feel.
“I think we got a little full-court pressure, sped them up a little bit,” he said.
Trimble said the mindset shifted as well.
“We stopped playing like some boys and sat down in the stance and started guarding like we know we can guard,” he said.
UNC went on an 18–3 run late, slicing the lead to four at 77–73. Dixon hit three 3-pointers during the surge, including one that beat the shot-clock buzzer. Trimble added two free throws, and Veesaar’s 3 with 18.6 seconds left cut it to three.
But Cal sealed it at the line, and Wilson’s final 3-point attempt missed.
Despite the loss, Trimble said the finish mattered.
“That second half, the way we closed, the way we came back,” he said. “That was definitely a step in the right direction.”
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Davis agreed the response was encouraging but incomplete.
“These are some bumps that we went through,” he said. “And we’re going to have to respond and fight back.”
Cal scored the first seven points before a 10–3 UNC run, which Dixon and Trimble sandwiched with corner 3-pointers, to tie it at 16:16 of the first half.
The Bears ripped off a 16–3 run to take a 13-point lead, 26–13, at 11:10 on a Milos Ilic 3-pointer and layup as UNC had five turnovers during that span.
Eight straight Wilson points — back-to-back layups, two free throws and a layup — and his steal ignited a 13–5 run. A Jonathan Powell 3-pointer and a pair of Veesaar free throws at 6:51 sliced the lead to five at 7:54 as UNC went to a 2–3 zone during the run.
Notes
— Carolina returns home for one of two remaining January home games, facing Notre Dame (10–8, 1–4) at 7 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN2). The Irish lost 89–76 to Virginia Tech on Saturday, extending their losing streak to four.
— With Dixon starting, UNC has now started five different lineup combinations. Evans didn’t enter the game until 14:45 remained in the first half.
— The previous biggest halftime deficit was 16 points in losses to SMU and Michigan State.
— UNC gave up at least 75 points for the fourth consecutive game after not doing that in the first 14 games.
— Jarin Stevenson was a team-low -16.
— Reserve UNC center Ivan Matlekovic wasn’t in uniform because of a right hand injury.
— Wes Durham was on the play-by-play call of the game on ACC Network. He was at Carolina’s first game at Cal in 1982 with his dad, legendary Voice of the Tar Heels Woody Durham, after taking his first plane ride.
— Cal wore throwback uniforms from its 1959 national championship season.
— UNC leads the series with Cal 5–2, and the Bears avenged a home loss, 64–61 on Dec. 22, 1972, in the first meeting between the schools.
— The Tar Heels are 16–11 in California and have lost three straight there, falling to Alabama in the 2024 NCAA Sweet 16 in Los Angeles and on Wednesday at Stanford.
— UNC became the sixth ACC team to lose both games on a West Coast conference trip.
Cal 84, No. 14 UNC 78
| Team | League | Overall | NET* | WAB* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Duke | 17–1 | 29–2 | 1 | 2 |
| No. 10 Virginia | 15–3 | 27–4 | 13 | 11 |
| Miami | 13–5 | 24–7 | 32 | 28 |
| No. 19 North Carolina | 12–6 | 24–7 | 23 | 19 |
| Clemson | 12–6 | 22–9 | 36 | 33 |
| No. 24 Louisville | 11–7 | 22–9 | 14 | 25 |
| N.C. State | 10–8 | 19–12 | 35 | 45 |
| Florida State | 10–8 | 17–14 | 69 | 74 |
| California | 9–9 | 21–10 | 65 | 49 |
| Stanford | 9–9 | 20–11 | 59 | 51 |
| SMU | 8–10 | 19–12 | 39 | 50 |
| Virginia Tech | 8–10 | 19–12 | 53 | 52 |
| Wake Forest | 7–11 | 16–15 | 64 | 81 |
| Syracuse | 6–12 | 15–16 | 83 | 92 |
| Pittsburgh | 5–13 | 12–19 | 109 | 146 |
| Notre Dame | 4–14 | 13–18 | 93 | 121 |
| Boston College | 4–14 | 11–20 | 159 | 217 |
| Georgia Tech | 2–16 | 11–20 | 167 | 210 |
* — Through Sunday games
Saturday’s results
No. 1 Duke 76, No. 19 North Carolina 61
Boston College 77, Notre Dame 69
Clemson 79, Georgia Tech 76
No. 24 Louisville 92, Miami 89
Florida State 92, SMU 78
Stanford 85, N.C. State 84
Wake Forest 80, California 73
Pittsburgh 71, Syracuse 69, OT
END OF REGULAR SEASON
ACC tournament
Spectrum Center | Charlotte
Tuesday through Saturday
| Date | Month/day | Scores | Opponent/event (current ranks) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 17 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 11 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | W, 77–58 | vs. ETSU | 10–1 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | W, 71–70 | vs. Ohio State | 11–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | W, 99–51 | vs. East Carolina | 12–1 |
| 30 | Tuesday | W, 79–66 | vs. Florida State | 13–1, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | L, 97–83 | at SMU | 13–2, 1–1 |
| 10 | Saturday | W, 87–84 | vs. Wake Forest | 14–2, 2–1 |
| 14 | Wednesday | L, 95–90 | at Stanford | 14–3, 2–2 |
| 17 | Saturday | L, 84–78 | at California | 14–4, 2–3 |
| 21 | Wednesday | W, 91–69 | vs. Notre Dame | 15–4, 3–3 |
| 24 | Saturday | W, 85–80 | at No. 9 Virginia | 16–4, 4–3 |
| 31 | Saturday | W, 91–75 | at Georgia Tech | 17–4, 5–3 |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | W, 87–77 | vs. Syracuse | 18–4, 6–3 |
| 7 | Saturday | W, 71–68 | vs. No. 1 Duke | 19–4, 7–3 |
| 10 | Tuesday | L, 75–66 | at No. 25 Miami | 19–5, 7–4 |
| 14 | Saturday | W, 79–65 | vs. Pittsburgh | 20–5, 8–4 |
| 17 | Tuesday | L, 82–58 | at N.C. State | 20–6, 8–5 |
| 21 | Saturday | W, 77–64 | at Syracuse | 21–6, 9–5 |
| 23 | Monday | W, 77–74 | vs. Louisville | 22–6, 10–5 |
| 28 | Saturday | W, 89–82 | vs. Virginia Tech | 23–6, 11–5 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | W, 67–63 | vs. Clemson | 24–6, 12–5 |
| 7 | Saturday | L, 76–61 | at No. 1 Duke | 24–7, 12–6 |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte | |
| 12 | Thursday | L, 80–79 | Quarterfinals: vs. Clemson | 24–8 |
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| 19 | Thursday | L, 82–78, OT | First round: vs. VCU in Greenville, S.C. | 24–9 |
Photos courtesy of UNC Athletics
