North Carolina Dominates East Carolina in 99-51 Victory

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) – Caleb Wilson scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as No. 12 North Carolina crushed East Carolina 99-51 on Monday night at the Smith Center. This victory marks the highest point total for the Tar Heels this season.

Wilson also recorded four blocks and three steals in a strong performance. Henri Veesaar contributed with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Seth Trimble and Luka Bogavac added 12 and 15 points respectively for the Tar Heels, who made 12 three-pointers and shot 54% from the field.

The loss dropped East Carolina to 5-8 for the season. Giovanni Emejuru led the Pirates with 21 points and 14 rebounds. However, leading scorer Emeka Okafor, who averages 21.7 points per game, struggled, scoring only 11 points on 4-of-24 shooting.

The Tar Heels began the game strong, quickly building a 10-2 lead. East Carolina missed its first seven shots and struggled to recover, shooting just 26% for the game. At halftime, the score was 49-26 in favor of North Carolina.

In the second half, the Tar Heels extended their lead to as much as 50 points. This win also marks UNC’s 52nd consecutive victory over non-Atlantic Coast Conference rivals from North Carolina.

“They overwhelmed us with their length and shooting,” said East Carolina head coach Mike Schwartz. “We couldn’t recover after their strong start.”

North Carolina improved to 12-1 and is off to its best start since the 2008-09 season. The team prepares to face Florida State in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener on December 30.