North Carolina
Recap: Boston College Loses an OT Thriller to North Carolina, 102-96, Losing Streak Extends to 6 Games
In a tight game that was back-and-forth all afternoon and into OT, Boston College failed in the final minutes in Chapel Hill against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday for a 102-96 loss. It was an incredible game that featured a lot of resilience from both teams who were able to overcome some late obstacles in a game that changed leads several times in the final minutes. The offenses were both running on all cylinders and both team’s shooters had an impressive day.
BTW I think Dion Brown heard us.
Dion Brown’s shooting was a huge reason that BC was able to stay competitive with North Carolina early in this game. Carolina was bullying BC in the paint and scoring really efficiently, especially considering all of the fouls they were drawing. But Brown hit a flurry of threes and was really aggressive offensively and led the Eagles to make their offense flow better. It allowed Venning to get some great inside one-on-ones too and BC was able to get to halftime trailing only by 1 point.
Donald Hand was absolutely electric as the game entered the second half. He hit multiple threes from Curry range, he was hitting mid-range shots left and right, and he was driving to the paint for lay-ups and fouls. Hand’s heroics (26 total points) kept BC in the lead for much of the final stretch, but UNC never fell far behind with their relentless attacks at the rim. BC was in foul trouble early and it allowed the Tar Heels to just keep pushing into the paint to draw contact or score a bucket. UNC didn’t always hit their free throws, but they were certainly getting more of them than BC was.
Jayden Hastings and Chad Venning also came up huge late in the game. Hastings scored three straight baskets for the Eagles while the lead was switching back and forth and his presence in the paint gave BC some much needed consistency. And then Venning took control of the game with just over a minute left, drawing a foul and then scoring a huge post-up for a 2-point BC lead.
North Carolina took one too many passes on their following offensive possession and BC grabbed a steal. And then Joshua Beadle hit a tough hook shot on the baseline to make it a 4-point BC lead with just about 30 seconds left. UNC’s Seth Trimble was able to draw a shooting foul on the next trip up and cut the lead back down to 2 with his free throws. And then when Chas Kelley received a 5-second violation on the following inbound, UNC was right back in business. The Tar Heels called Trimble’s name again and he scored at the basket to tie the game with just 12 seconds left.
Earl Grant’s strategy out of that timeout was rather baffling. UNC full-court pressed the Eagles on their inbound, but instead of taking advantage of this, BC instead opted to walk it up the court and call timeout with just about 5 seconds remaining. That gave the Tar Heels another chance to defend and use up their remaining fouls, which they did in order to get the clock down to 3 seconds. Chas Kelley then made another mistake on the inbound, throwing it straight to a UNC player and causing a turnover. North Carolina couldn’t hit a buzzer-beater, so the game went to OT.
It was back-and-forth once again in OT, with Hand and Venning taking over on offense and keeping the Eagles in the game despite some sharp UNC shooting. But Seth Trimble would just not go away, as he scored an incredibly difficult shot in the paint to give UNC a 2-point lead with a minute remaining. Luka Toews missed a three on the other end and Chad Venning fouled out on a soft blocking call off of a screen. That allowed UNC to up their lead to 4 points and then 6 points when BC’s last second desperation didn’t pay off and the game ended.
Boston College’s losing streak now stands at 6 games in a row. The Eagles next play against 13-6 Florida State on Saturday February 1st in Conte Forum.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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