The North Carolina Tar Heels entered Saturday afternoon's rematch against Syracuse with one goal on their mind: win.
Sure, the game wasn't pretty throughout. Just eight minutes into the second half, UNC found itself deadlocked in a 44-all tie with Syracuse.
That 12-minute media timeout was exactly what North Carolina needed to refocus. The Tar Heels scored eight straight points, giving themselves a much-needed momentum-booster, en route to a 77-64 victory.
UNC (21-6, 9-5 ACC) benefitted greatly from Henri Veesaar's return to the starting lineup. Missing the past two games with an injury, Veesaar looked fully healthy, leading North Carolina with 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Veesaar grabbed three rebounds, but his three blocks made a decisive impact on the defensive end.
Zayden High did a great job filling in for Veesaar the past couple games, while also proving himself worthy of more playing time. High nearly recorded another double-double, this time in a Tar Heels-best 10 minutes off the bench, scoring nine points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Luka Bogavac and Seth Trimble added 13 points apiece, giving UNC's offense a 3-headed attack. North Carolina thrived in transition, earning a 19-9 advantage in fast break points. The Tar Heels scored 42 points in the paint, compared to just 32 for Syracuse, which enjoyed a season-high 22 points from JJ Starling.
UNC has a quick turnaround, hosting Louisville on Monday, but can enjoy Saturday's win for now. Take a look at some postgame social media reactions, which are filled with plenty of happy fans.
We get a happy General Wilson today!
Dearest Mother,
— General Caleb S. Wilson (@general_caleb_w) February 21, 2026
Cpt. Veesaar gloriously returned to the battlefield this afternoon and led the Carolina regiment to victory over the Orange. The sun shines down on us once again. We shall see brighter fortunes before long.
Your loving son,
General Wilson
How the tables turn
Remember when Kansas fans were on us on Tuesday....
— ♛Young Simba♛ (A Leaky Black Stan Account) (@CrownedPrinceHC) February 21, 2026
Road games are always tough
Genuinely wondering has North Carolina ever had a game on the road that didn’t look exactly like this ??
— William McCallister (@WilliamMcCall_) February 21, 2026
NC State fans still running their mouths
How much did he pay for that beachfront property in your frontal lobe? https://t.co/ehKjyXi0r6
— Benny “Creatine” Griffin (@notRJdavis) February 21, 2026
Plus/minus ratings for the Tar Heels
#UNC +/- at Syracuse
— Michael Koh (@michaelkohwchl) February 21, 2026
+17 High (19 mins)
+13 Veesaar (26 mins)
+12 Powell (17 mins)
+9 Evans (8 mins)
+7 Trimble (30 mins)
+5 Bogavac (31 mins)
+4 Dixon (32 mins)
+2 Stevenson (31 mins)
-4 Young (5 mins)
UNC fans don't have to stress about today's game
Would have accepted any type of win but a comfortable double digit ACC win is the best kind…
— Daggum Hubert (@DaggumHube) February 21, 2026
BIG wins only!
77-64 HEELS WIN!
— UNC Barstool (@UNCBarstool) February 21, 2026
Zayden High will always have his teammates' backs
Say what you want about Zayden High, but I fw how he doesn’t let his teammates get punked
— Armandoavenue (@Armandoavenu3) February 21, 2026
BIG mood!!
HEELS WIN HEELS WIN HEELS WIN HEELS WIN HEELS WIN HEELS WIN HEELS WIN HEELS WIN HEELS WIN
— Jon Robinson (@jonrob11011965) February 21, 2026
*** Welcome back Henri!!! Man…we missed you
*** Coming into the dome under pressure to produce…and they did
*** Love the toughness
*** Good Quad1-2 win💪🏿
He's growing up before our own eyes!
Zayden with 9 pts & 11 rebs
— Andrew Jones (@AJTarHeel247) February 21, 2026
As @RL_Bynum just said, "He's gone beyond serviceable"
Larger win if you make the free throws!
UNC would be dominating this basketball game if they were hitting their FTs
— Isaac Schade (@isaacschade) February 21, 2026
After 13 straight games at or under 70%, UNC has been over 70% in the last 5. Not gonna be a 6th straight.
Solid road win today.
Game, set, match in Syracuse. Heels took care of business, played well in the second half. Really solid road W.
— Jacob Turner (@JacobTurnerNC) February 21, 2026
Positive takeaways from the win!
FINAL
— Isaac Schade (@isaacschade) February 21, 2026
UNC 77
Syracuse 64
• Welcome back Henri Veesaar! 19pts, 9-13FG, 1-3FT, 3reb, 3blk in 26min
• Nearly another dub-dub for Zayden High, but off the bench - 9pts, 11reb
• Nice 2nd half for Seth Trimble - 13pts, 5-7FG, 4reb, 2ast, 2 stl
Henri Veesaar highlights for your viewing pleasure!
Henri Veesaar 19 points (9/13) FG 3 rebounds 3 blocks pic.twitter.com/EI1LeS3QYb
— Jay (@Jayy_Hardyy252) February 21, 2026
Zayden High the enforcer?
Personally I don’t mind Zayden High getting the T. Freeman slung his teammate down & High was taking up for him. UNC has needed somebody to play with a chip at times. High probably feels he needs to play a bit of the enforcer role. That’s what he brings. @TarHeel_247
— David Sisk (@CoachDavidSisk) February 21, 2026
It's all about the energy!
I LOVE ZAYDEN HIGH
— William McCallister (@WilliamMcCall_) February 21, 2026
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT UNC NEEDS ENERGYYYYYYYYY
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT
A complete effort from the Tar Heels!
Some quick thoughts on UNC’s 77-64 win over Syracuse today:
— Trevor William Marks (@twmarks_) February 21, 2026
* This is the best Zayden High has looked as a Tar Heel. Complete game, didn’t force anything on offense, pulled down 11 rebounds, battled on defense, etc. Team-best +17 today.
* It seems like Henri Veesaar’s lower leg…
How about that?!
HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargopic.twitter.com/2tkRIlhSGY
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 21, 2026
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Social media reacts to big win at Syracuse