East Tennessee State kept it close for 18 minutes, but after that, it was all North Carolina.
A pair of electrifying dunks sparked the UNC basketball program as they picked up their 10th win of the early season on Tuesday night in Chapel Hill.
Why was it close early on?
Even though North Carolina had a distinct size advantage, the visiting Buccaneers made the Tar Heels work on the defensive end. Using up the entire 30 seconds on the shot clock, essentially each possession, East Tennessee State limited transition opportunities for North Carolina, which hampered the Tar Heels opportunities to get out and run.
Two key dunks sparked the rally
Who else but Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar?
The dynamic front court duo each recorded a monster slam dunk, two plays that felt like the turning point of the game.
Strong end to the half, even better start to the second half
North Carolina put up a 5-0 run to end the first half, giving them an eight point cushion leading into the break. When the teams returned to action, the Tar Heels put together a 7-0 run in just a minute and a half of game time, extending the lead to 15.
At that point, ETSU had no chance to get back into the game.
The best front court duo in the country call Chapel Hill home
Veesaar had yet another outstanding performance, scoring a career-high 26 points (connecting on 10 of his 11 shots from the floor). He added eight rebounds and two assists to his stat line, needing only 28 minutes to put up that production.
Wilson continues to be a threat to basketball rims, as he once again put together some impressive highlight-reel dunks. The five-star freshman scored 20 points and added eight rebounds of his own, as the tone was set in the front court (as has been the case all season long).
A notable second half starters switch
Hubert Davis made a rare starters switch to begin the second half, inserting Jonathan Powell into the lineup in place of Luka Bogavac.
Bogavac scored only two points all night and was essentially invisible, as Davis elected to roll with Powell, who has been excellent defensively while showing the ability to knock down shots as well.
When Seth Trimble returns, the formula Davis utilizes in terms of allocating minutes will be interesting to keep an eye on.
What's Next?
North Carolina head to Atlanta, Georgia for the annual CBS Sports Classic. The UNC basketball program will take on Ohio State in this year's event, the second-to-last non-conference game on the schedule for the Tar Heels this season.