No Wilson, no problem for No. 11 UNC in 79-65 win over Pitt
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- Jarin Stevenson and Seth Trimble scored 19 points each to help No. 11 North Carolina beat Pittsburgh 79-65 on Saturday and secure another 20-win season.
The short-handed Tar Heels played without star freshman forward Caleb Wilson (bone fracture in left hand) and center Henri Veesaar (illness/lower body injury), who had both started every game this season and are the team's top two scorers and rebounders.
"He's obviously devastated," UNC head coach Hubert Davis said of Wilson. "He loves to play, but he loves being part of a team, and I think he found out even though he's not playing, he's still a part of the team."
Stevenson's total was a season-high for the Alabama transfer.
Luka Bogavac and Zayden High, who had a career-best game, each scored 15 points for North Carolina (20-5, 8-4 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Cameron Corhen had 23 points and Roman Siulepa added 14 points for Pittsburgh (9-17, 2-11), which has lost five in a row, including four against ranked teams.
High made his first career start, and he posted the game's first basket on the way to shooting 7 for 11 from the field. He also had a team-high seven rebounds.
Pittsburgh cut a 21-point deficit to 62-48 before North Carolina's 8-0 spurt put the game away. The Panthers took only eight free throws, while the Tar Heels took 17.
The Tar Heels broke out to a 16-5 lead. North Carolina made 10 of its first 12 shots from the field, helping it to a 46-32 halftime lead.
Trimble, in the first home game since his game-winning 3-pointer a week earlier against Duke, had 13 first-half points.
"To hear that (about Wilson) was a real bummer, but we've been through it before," Trimble said. "These guys went through it when I got hurt, so we know it's not time to just be sad and sob. We know we've got to push through it."
Guard Derek Dixon had seven assists and a season-high seven rebounds for the Tar Heels.
"Playing a little bit faster, just trying to use our speed, use our quickness because we're not exactly going to be the biggest," Dixon said.
North Carolina, which has 66 20-win seasons, improved to 15-0 at home.
North Carolina travels to rival N.C. State on Tuesday night.
The Associated Press contributed.
