UNC’s Unexpected Heroes: How the Bench Outshined Star Players to Topple Virginia Tech Again

The North Carolina Tar Heels showed no signs of slowing down as they clinched a hard-fought 89-82 victory over Virginia Tech at the iconic Dean Smith Center on Saturday night. This win marks their third consecutive triumph, a testament to their relentless drive and resilience this season. Though the Hokies drilled 50% from the floor and kept it sharp beyond the arc with 39%, they couldn’t quite match the Tar Heels’ offensive firepower. Carolina’s impressive shooting—55% overall and a solid 40% from downtown—put the game firmly in their grasp, despite some scrappy resistance. Leading the charge was center Henri Veesaar, who dropped 26 points while controlling rebounds and assists, supported strongly by Seth Trimble’s 20 points and playmaking. The Tar Heels’ bench also made a massive impact, outpacing Virginia Tech’s reserves by a substantial margin. It was a game that had pace, intensity, and a jolt of excitement—UNC showing why they’re a force to reckon with this year. LEARN MORE

The North Carolina Tar Heels continued to finish the season strong with an 89-82 win over Virginia Tech at the Dean Smith Center on Saturday night, its third straight victory.

While Virginia Tech shot 50% from the field and 39% from 3-point range, the Hokies had no answer for the offense of North Carolina (23-6, 11-5 ACC). The Tar Heels shot 29-for-52 (55%) from the field and 8-for-20 (40%) from 3-point range.

North Carolina center Henri Veesaar led the way with 26 points on 11-for-20 shooting from the field and 2-for-7 from 3-point range, along with seven rebounds, two assists and one block. Seth Trimble also continued his strong performance, scoring 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field, with four assists, two rebounds and one steal.

A huge factor in the game was bench production. UNC outscored Virginia Tech 32-13 in bench points, as Jonathan Powell (15 points) and Zayden High (12 points) both scored in double figures off the bench.

Niko Avdalas led Virginia Tech with 19 points, while Ben Hammond and Tobi Lawal both scored 16.

First Half

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) shoots as Louisville Cardinals forward Sananda Fru (13) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Hammond opened the scoring with a jump shot before Carolina responded with two straight baskets — a Luka Bogavac jumper and a Trimble 3-pointer. Virginia Tech’s Amani Hansberry answered with a jumper before Veesaar extended Carolina’s lead to 8-4 with a 3-pointer. After that, the Hokies and Tar Heels traded baskets.

North Carolina eventually took control for a stretch in the latter part of the first half, building an 8-point lead behind Powell’s 12-point first half and key baskets from Trimble.

With the game at 30-22 and 6:54 left in the first half, Virginia Tech stormed back with a 22-12 run to close the period and tie it at 44. The Hokies took the lead with 3:53 remaining after a Hansberry jumper in the paint before both teams traded blows. Virginia Tech did not trail over the final 2:51 and made seven of its nine field-goal attempts to end the half.

Both teams finished the first half shooting better than 50% from the field, with Virginia Tech at 53% and North Carolina at 51.7%.

While Powell led the Tar Heels in scoring, Lawal had 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the field to go along with three rebounds.

Second Half

Feb 28, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; The crowd reacts after North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) hits a three point shot in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina started the half with a 6-0 run after a basket from Stevenson and back-to-back buckets in the paint from Veesaar. Virginia Tech tied it at 57 after a 3-pointer from Avdalas, a layup by Hansberry and another 3-pointer from Schutt.

UNC answered with a 7-0 run on a Veesaar dunk, another 3-pointer from Powell and a layup from Trimble. After that, it was all Carolina.

While Virginia Tech made several baskets, North Carolina responded with more. The Tar Heels shot nearly 61% from the field in the second half and got to the free-throw line 20 times, making 15.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Tar Heels beat Virginia Tech 89-82