In a decisive matchup on Wednesday night, the North Carolina Tar Heels triumphed over the California Golden Bears with a final score of 79-53. Ian Jackson led the scoring for North Carolina with 20 points, while Elliot Cadeau contributed 15 points to the team’s strong performance.
The Tar Heels ignited a 15-0 scoring spree that significantly widened their lead, transforming a nine-point advantage into a commanding 63-39 lead with just under eight minutes remaining in the second half. Jackson was particularly effective down the stretch, netting seven points in the final five minutes, including a layup that marked North Carolina’s largest lead at 77-50 with two minutes left on the clock. In contrast, California managed to score only five points during the closing moments of the game.
Support from backup guard Seth Trimble was also notable, as he added 12 points for North Carolina, improving their season record to 12-6 with a 5-1 conference standing.
For California, Mady Sissoko topped the scoresheet with 16 points, while Joshua Ola-Joseph came off the bench to add 10 points. The Golden Bears struggled offensively, especially Andrej Stojakovic, who entered the game averaging 24.5 points per game but ended up with only six points on a poor shooting night where he hit just 3 of 13 attempts from the field.
During the first half, Cadeau’s contributions and a solid 57% shooting performance from the floor helped North Carolina take a 39-29 lead into halftime. In contrast, California shot just 38% overall and made only 1 out of 11 attempts from the three-point arc.
Sissoko was instrumental for the Golden Bears at the start of the second half, scoring eight of the team’s first ten points and bringing them to within 48-39 with a dunk about halfway through the period. However, North Carolina quickly regained control of the game, cementing their advantage with a strong offensive stretch.
The victory marked the Tar Heels’ fourth consecutive win, while California fell to 1-5 in away games. North Carolina currently sits among a competitive group of four teams with just one conference loss, trailing behind the third-ranked Duke Blue Devils, who hold a perfect 7-0 record.
Looking ahead, North Carolina will host Stanford on Saturday, while California is set to compete against N.C. State.
