Carolina’s Offense Keeps Rolling in Road Win Over Georgia Tech
The Tar Heels are officially heating up. Carolina rolled into Atlanta and rolled out with a third straight win, handling Georgia Tech 91-75 on the road to move to 17-4 on the season and 5-3 in ACC play.
It wasn’t just a win-it was a statement. This team is finding its rhythm, and the numbers back it up.
Over their last six games, Carolina has topped 85 points five times and cracked the 90-point mark in three of those. According to Bart Torvik’s metrics, they’re sporting the second-best offense in the country for the month of January.
And if you’ve been watching, that checks out.
Once again, it was Caleb Wilson leading the charge. The Atlanta native returned home and put on a show, dropping 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting.
But this wasn’t a solo act. Henri Veesaar posted a big-time double-double with 20 points and 12 boards, Seth Trimble added 18 on an efficient 8-of-14 from the field, and Luka Bogavac came off the bench firing, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
What’s wild is that Carolina shot just 46% from the field and 26% from three-and still put up 91. That’s because they found other ways to dominate.
They turned 12 Georgia Tech turnovers into 18 points, grabbed 20 points off offensive rebounds, and ran the floor to the tune of 16 transition points. This was arguably their most complete road performance of the season.
Fast Start, Fast Finish
UNC came out of the gate with a 7-0 run, setting the tone early. Georgia Tech punched back with an 8-0 spurt of their own, but Carolina responded with an 18-6 run to take a 25-14 lead and never looked back. By halftime, the Heels were up 52-37-marking the second straight road half where they hit the 50-point mark, following their comeback win at Virginia.
Hubert Davis Sees Progress
Head coach Hubert Davis was clear heading into the game: his team has made strides, but there’s still room to grow. Two areas he’s been focused on-free-throw shooting and defensive rebounding-showed real improvement.
Carolina went 11-of-12 from the stripe and limited Georgia Tech to just nine offensive rebounds on 33 missed shots. That’s the kind of attention to detail that wins games in February and March.
Caleb Wilson Keeps Making History
Let’s talk about Caleb Wilson. With his 22-point outing, Wilson broke two UNC freshman records: most consecutive double-figure scoring games to begin a career (passing Rasheed Wallace) and most 20-point games by a freshman (passing Tyler Hansbrough) with his 15th such performance.
What’s even more impressive? He didn’t score in the first 12 minutes of the game.
Georgia Tech threw double-teams at him early and often, but Wilson adjusted, scored 14 in the first half, and finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and a team-high 5 assists. He hit tough fadeaways, threw down highlight-reel dunks, and looked every bit like a future star.
With Duke looming next week, Wilson’s play is becoming must-watch.
Veesaar Rebounds-Literally and Figuratively
Henri Veesaar bounced back in a big way after a quiet outing against Virginia. Georgia Tech couldn’t keep him off the glass or out of the paint.
He dropped 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, including 11 points in the first half. He didn’t shoot it well from deep (1-of-4), but he made his presence felt inside.
When Veesaar is active and aggressive, he gives this team a legitimate frontcourt edge.
Turnovers Trending in the Right Direction
Carolina has quietly become one of the best teams in the country at taking care of the ball. They turned it over just twice in this one-yes, two times.
That’s not just good; that’s elite. On the other end, they forced 12 Georgia Tech turnovers and turned those into 18 points.
That kind of efficiency on both sides of the ball is what separates good teams from great ones.
Sharing the Rock
The ball movement is starting to look like classic Carolina. The Heels assisted on 21 of their 36 made field goals, with all five starters recording at least one assist.
The bench chipped in with eight more. Wilson led the way with five dimes, showing he’s more than just a scorer.
When this team moves the ball like that, they’re tough to guard.
Three-Point Volume vs. Efficiency
UNC continues to let it fly from deep-and they’re doing it at a record pace. The Heels are on track to set school records for threes attempted and made in a season.
They went 8-of-31 from beyond the arc in this one, which isn’t pretty on paper, but when those shots fall, it stretches the floor and opens up everything else. Luka Bogavac hit three triples off the bench, while five other players chipped in one each.
Defensively, Carolina has tightened up on the perimeter. Georgia Tech hit 54% from deep, but only attempted 13 threes. That’s now three straight games where Carolina has held opponents to eight or fewer makes from distance-an area that plagued them early in ACC play.
Road Tested, Road Tough
This was a game Carolina was expected to win-but that hasn’t always guaranteed a W this season. Earlier road losses at Cal and Stanford proved that.
But since that West Coast stumble, the Tar Heels have responded with three straight wins, including back-to-back road victories. They’re now 3-3 away from Chapel Hill, and more importantly, they’re starting to look like a team that’s learning how to win in tough environments.
Final Word
This wasn’t just another win-it was another step forward. Carolina is clicking offensively, tightening up defensively, and playing with the kind of confidence that makes them dangerous. With Caleb Wilson rewriting the record books and the supporting cast stepping up in big ways, the Tar Heels are starting to look like a team that’s ready to make noise when it matters most.