SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Interstat) — Henri Veesaar scored 19 points to lead North Carolina to a 77-64 victory over Syracuse in Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball on Saturday at the Carrier Dome. The Tar Heels led 33-28 at halftime and pulled away in the second half before a crowd of 23,606. North Carolina improved to 21-6 overall, while Syracuse fell to 14-13. Veesaar added three rebounds and three blocks. Zayden High had nine points and 11 rebounds for North Carolina, which dominated inside with 42 points in the paint and scored 19 fastbreak points. JJ Starling led Syracuse with 22 points. The Orange struggled to capitalize on mistakes, scoring only four points off turnovers. North Carolina has won both meetings between the teams this season.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Interstat) — In a game defined by defensive intensity and offensive inefficiency, the North Carolina Tar Heels methodically dispatched the Syracuse Orange 77-64 in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 23,606 at the Carrier Dome. The victory improved North Carolina to 21-6 overall, while Syracuse fell to 14-13. The Tar Heels avenged a prior meeting this season only in the record books, as this contest bore little resemblance to the up-tempo 87-77 Carolina win in Chapel Hill just three weeks earlier. The most important part of the game was North Carolina’s commanding first-half defensive performance, which established a tone and a margin Syracuse could never overcome. The Tar Heels held the Orange to a frigid 28 points in the opening period, building a 33-28 halftime lead that felt far more substantial given the Orange’s struggles. Syracuse shot just 3 of 17 from three-point range for the game and managed a meager 92.0 offensive rating on 70 possessions. North Carolina’s own offense was not spectacular, posting a 109.5 rating, but its defense provided a consistent cushion. Henri Veesaar, the 7-foot sophomore from Estonia, anchored that defensive effort and provided crucial scoring, finishing with 19 points, three rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes. His presence in the paint altered numerous Syracuse attempts and helped limit the Orange to just 32 points in the paint, compared to 42 for the Tar Heels. The game’s opening sequence set the stage. After Syracuse’s William Kyle won the opening tip, the Orange missed their first shot and North Carolina quickly established its interior game. Veesaar recorded a block on one end and, though the Tar Heels started slowly offensively themselves, their defense never relented. Syracuse guards found driving lanes clogged, and perimeter shots were consistently contested. The Orange connected on only 10 field goals in the first half. North Carolina’s lead ballooned to 13 points early in the second half after a Seth Trimble layup made it 44-31. Syracuse, led by a game-high 22 points from Baldwinsville native JJ Starling, made several pushes to cut into the deficit. A driving layup by Starling followed by a William Kyle dunk brought the Orange within 46-40 with just over 12 minutes remaining, prompting a North Carolina timeout. Each time Syracuse threatened, however, North Carolina had an answer, often stemming from its defense creating transition opportunities. The Tar Heels scored 19 fastbreak points to Syracuse’s nine and converted 13 points off turnovers while allowing only four. A critical sequence occurred after the Syracuse run. Following the timeout, North Carolina’s Zayden High scored inside, Trimble stole the ensuing inbounds pass for a dunk, and then hit a pull-up jumper to push the lead back to 52-40, effectively snuffing out the Orange’s momentum. Syracuse never got within single digits again. The Tar Heels maintained their discipline, working the ball inside to Veesaar or leveraging the all-around play of Luka Bogavac, who had 13 points and six rebounds, and Seth Trimble, who added 13 points and five rebounds. High was a force on the glass, grabbing 11 rebounds to go with nine points. While Starling shouldered the scoring load for Syracuse, the rest of the Orange struggled from the field. Donnie Freeman added nine points, seven rebounds and three blocks, but the team’s 42.4% shooting from the floor and 17.6% from beyond the arc proved insurmountable against a disciplined North Carolina defense. The Tar Heels, who entered as a slim 2-point favorite according to sportsbooks, covered the spread with relative ease, though the total score of 141 fell well under the pregame over/under line of 153, underscoring the defensive nature of the contest. The win provided a measure of stability for North Carolina following a disappointing 82-58 loss at North Carolina State earlier in the week. North Carolina next hosts Louisville on Monday night. Syracuse travels to face Wake Forest next Saturday.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Interstat) — The North Carolina Tar Heels look to rebound from a blowout loss and solidify their ACC standing when they visit the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on Saturday. North Carolina (20-6), which entered the week ranked No. 12, is coming off a stunning 82-58 road loss to unranked North Carolina State on Tuesday. That defeat snapped a stretch where the Tar Heels had won five of their previous six games, a run that included an 87-77 home victory over Syracuse on Feb. 2. A key to the Tar Heels’ response will be the play of sophomore forward Jarin Stevenson. He leads the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game in ACC play and is coming off a 34-minute, 13-point effort in the loss to the Wolfpack. In the first meeting with Syracuse, Stevenson contributed 7 points in 21 minutes. Syracuse (14-12) seeks to build momentum after a dramatic 79-78 home win over SMU last Saturday, which was preceded by a 107-100 double-overtime victory against California. The Orange, however, were routed 101-64 at Duke on Monday. Junior center William Kyle, who leads the team in blocks, will be central to Syracuse’s interior defense. He was limited to 2 points in the first matchup with the Tar Heels. The Orange have shown a pattern of following tough losses with resilient performances at home. They will need that trend to continue against a North Carolina team that has been strong on the road in conference play, with key wins at Virginia and Georgia Tech last month. Historically, North Carolina holds a 17-9 advantage in the series since Syracuse joined the ACC. A win would keep the Tar Heels in contention for a top-four conference tournament seed, while the Orange are looking for a signature victory to bolster their postseason resume. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on ESPN.