Caleb Wilson scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and sparked a key second-half run in No. 18 North Carolina’s 73-61 victory against Navy on Tuesday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Luka Bogavac notched 16 points, Jarin Stevenson had 11 and Henri Veesaar added 10 for the Tar Heels (5-0), who ended a five-game homestand to start the season.
Wilson, a freshman forward, has reached the 20-point mark in four games this season. He shot 9-for-13 from the field.
Austin Benigni scored 11 of his 19 points in the first half for Navy (2-3), which shot 6-for-21 from 3-point range. Jinwoo Kim added 14 points, but he and Benigni combined to make just 10 of 37 shots from the field as the Midshipmen shot just 30.4% from the field.
Navy committed only six turnovers compared to North Carolina’s 13. The Tar Heels held a 45-38 rebounding advantage, but their early hot shooting stretch waned and they ended up at 42.9% from the field.
Bogavac finished with three of North Carolina’s eight 3-point baskets. Navy scored 10 points fewer than its average from its first three outings against Division I opponents.
Navy trailed 39-31 early in the second half before Wilson got cranked up. He dunked twice and made a free throw to complete a three-point play as part of the Tar Heels’ 8-0 run and the Midshipmen called for a timeout.
The Tar Heels kept the momentum going with what became a 19-5 stretch in their favor.
The Midshipmen didn’t fade as Benigni connected on two 3s and two free throws during a stretch of less than two minutes, allowing Navy to climb with 68-59 with two minutes remaining. However, Stevenson’s 3-pointer gave the Tar Heels a double-digit lead again.
North Carolina led 38-31 at halftime, boosted by Bogavac’s 12 points that included draining both of his 3-point attempts. The Tar Heels held a 12-point lead earlier, but the first half ended with Navy holding a 14-12 edge in points in the paint.
