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North Carolina defeated Virginia Tech 89-82 on Saturday night, but one of its star big men needed a jolt at halftime.
The Tar Heels went into the break tied 44-44 with Virginia Tech, a struggling but well-coached team desperate for a win as it lingered on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
North Carolina had appeared to seize control early, building a 30-22 lead with under seven minutes left in the first half. But the Tar Heels allowed Virginia Tech to storm back with a 22-12 run to close the period and even the score. The Hokies took the lead several times in the final minutes and never trailed over the last 2:51, hitting seven of their final nine field-goal attempts.
“We had some spirited conversations at halftime,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “I want to dominate points in the paint. I felt like in the first half we were settling, not persistent in trying to get to the basket.”
That message was aimed, indirectly but unmistakably, at center Henri Veesaar.
Veesaar's Second Half Explosion
Veesaar had eight points and three rebounds at halftime but went just 3-for-9 from the field, and at times, he wasn’t attacking the paint with authority. In the second half, that changed. He scored 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting after the break and added four rebounds.
In all, the 7-foot Estonian finished with 26 points on 11-for-20 shooting and 2-for-7 from 3-point range, along with seven rebounds — his best outing on the glass since pulling down six against Miami.
Veesaar, who had recently dealt with a lower-body injury and the flu that caused him to miss two games, said he finally felt like himself.
“I felt great today because I finally felt in shape,” Veesaar said. “I didn’t get as tired as the last two games. Being able to go longer periods helped.”
Davis noticed the difference in where his big man was catching the ball.
“I felt like he worked harder to catch the ball where he wanted it,” Davis said. “In the first half he was letting Virginia Tech dictate where he was catching it, which was too far out. In the second half he worked extremely hard to catch it closer to the basket.”
Henri Veesaar in the win over VA Tech #NBADraft
— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) March 1, 2026
— 26 PTS
— 7 REBS
— 2 ASTS
— 1 BLK
— 1 STL
— 11/20 FG
— 2/3 FT pic.twitter.com/LytRdgfZYS
That tweak altered the entire flow of North Carolina’s offense. Once Veesaar established deeper position, he could see double-teams coming. One dribble carried him straight to the rim, and his kick-outs created cleaner looks for shooters. Suddenly, everything opened up around him.
“Second half, I feel like I was able to get position lower, catch it closer to the basket,” Veesaar said. “Kind of getting settled in, being patient.”
The Tar Heels will need Veesaar to remain the focal point with Caleb Wilson still sidelined — especially with Clemson and Duke looming, both of whom are strong on the interior.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Veesaar's second-half surge after Davis's talk