University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Syracuse Rapid Reactions
February 21, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the rematch.
By Adam Lucas
1. Carolina got a much needed road victory with a 77-64Â win at Syracuse.
2. Saturday marked the return of Henri Veesaar, who started after missing Tuesday night's game at NC State and the win over Pitt. The Heels were still without Caleb Wilson.
3. Veesaar was very important in his return. He led the team in scoring with 19 points and made nine of his 13 shots. "Henri had a huge impact on the game," Hubert Davis said on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "Having him back in the lineup was huge."
4. Veesaar's +13 was the second-highest figure on the team. And the other two Tar Heels who joined him in the top three might surprise you. The team leader was Zayden High, who was +17 in scoring nine points to go with his 11 rebounds, narrowly missing his second straight double-double. And Jonathan Powell was +12 in 17 minutes, as he went 2-for-3 from the three-point line. "Zayden was fantastic," Hubert Davis said on the THSN.
5. Add Seth Trimble to the list of impactful Tar Heels, as he recovered from a sluggish first half to total 13 points. The senior missed his only shot in the first half but had 13 points in the second half.
6. It's always nice to get a road ACC win, especially when missing the team's leading scorer. The one negative would be free throw shooting, where Carolina made just 15 of the team's 28 charity tosses. High was a solid four for six, and Derek Dixon made both of his attempts, but no one else made more than half of their free throws.
7. The Tar Heels were much more judicious in their use of the three-point shot. After firing 33 against State, Veesaar's return made them more persistent in getting the ball inside on Saturday. Carolina took about half as many 3s as they did on Tuesday (attempting 16) but made more than they did in that game (sinking six). They still shot 51.9 percent from the field.Â
8. Veesaar also helped Carolina win Davis's favorite stat, points in the paint. The Tar Heels had a 42-32 advantage in that category and also had a 19-9 edge in fast break scoring.  The visitors essentially outplayed the Orange in every possible way.
9. The win continues one of the most remarkable subtle program stats. Carolina has now swept at least one ACC foe in every year the league has existed. With the changing conference schedule offering only two home-and-home chances each season, it's possible that stat could be on borrowed time, but for now it continues for another year.
10. The Tar Heels are back at home on a quick turnaround for a very important home date with Louisville on Monday night. The game will include, among other festivities, RJ Davis being in attendance to have his jersey honored. In case you missed it, the home game against Virginia Tech on Feb. 28 has been set for an 8:30 p.m. tipoff.
1. Carolina got a much needed road victory with a 77-64Â win at Syracuse.
2. Saturday marked the return of Henri Veesaar, who started after missing Tuesday night's game at NC State and the win over Pitt. The Heels were still without Caleb Wilson.
3. Veesaar was very important in his return. He led the team in scoring with 19 points and made nine of his 13 shots. "Henri had a huge impact on the game," Hubert Davis said on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "Having him back in the lineup was huge."
4. Veesaar's +13 was the second-highest figure on the team. And the other two Tar Heels who joined him in the top three might surprise you. The team leader was Zayden High, who was +17 in scoring nine points to go with his 11 rebounds, narrowly missing his second straight double-double. And Jonathan Powell was +12 in 17 minutes, as he went 2-for-3 from the three-point line. "Zayden was fantastic," Hubert Davis said on the THSN.
5. Add Seth Trimble to the list of impactful Tar Heels, as he recovered from a sluggish first half to total 13 points. The senior missed his only shot in the first half but had 13 points in the second half.
6. It's always nice to get a road ACC win, especially when missing the team's leading scorer. The one negative would be free throw shooting, where Carolina made just 15 of the team's 28 charity tosses. High was a solid four for six, and Derek Dixon made both of his attempts, but no one else made more than half of their free throws.
7. The Tar Heels were much more judicious in their use of the three-point shot. After firing 33 against State, Veesaar's return made them more persistent in getting the ball inside on Saturday. Carolina took about half as many 3s as they did on Tuesday (attempting 16) but made more than they did in that game (sinking six). They still shot 51.9 percent from the field.Â
8. Veesaar also helped Carolina win Davis's favorite stat, points in the paint. The Tar Heels had a 42-32 advantage in that category and also had a 19-9 edge in fast break scoring.  The visitors essentially outplayed the Orange in every possible way.
9. The win continues one of the most remarkable subtle program stats. Carolina has now swept at least one ACC foe in every year the league has existed. With the changing conference schedule offering only two home-and-home chances each season, it's possible that stat could be on borrowed time, but for now it continues for another year.
10. The Tar Heels are back at home on a quick turnaround for a very important home date with Louisville on Monday night. The game will include, among other festivities, RJ Davis being in attendance to have his jersey honored. In case you missed it, the home game against Virginia Tech on Feb. 28 has been set for an 8:30 p.m. tipoff.
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