Caleb Wilson had 22 points, 16 rebounds and six assists to help No. 12 North Carolina open Atlantic Coast Conference play with a 79-66 victory over Florida State on Tuesday night.
The 6-foot-10 freshman set a season-high in rebounds and matched his highs in assists and was clearly the best player on the floor, from his energy chasing down rebounds to his superior athleticism on display with four dunks.
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Senior Seth Trimble had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Tar Heels (13-1, 1-0), while Keon Evans scored 15 points on five 3-pointers and big man Henry Vissar added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
They helped UNC extend its best start in 15 years, although the Seminoles (7-7, 0-1) were stubborn in this one.
Under Luke Loucks, Florida State began to lean toward the 3-point shot in its first season. Luke Laux is a former Seminole who took over after long-time coach Leonard Hamilton stepped down.
The Seminoles entered Tuesday night ranked 11th nationally in three-pointers made (11.4) and attempted (36.2). Although FSU hit seven 3-pointers at halftime and only made five of 21 after the break (23.8 percent), they finished the game with those numbers (12 points on 40 shots).
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Midway through the second half, UNC went on an 18-3 run to lead by 16 points. But it wasn’t until Trimble drained a transition dunk and then Vissar knocked down an offensive rebound that the Tar Heels finally got out of trouble and led 75-61 with 1:10 left.
Chauncey Wiggins had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Seminoles, who shot 34.8% from the field.
The game was a rare occasion for UNC to wear blue on the road at home, marking just the fifth time in the Smith Center’s nearly 40-year history.
Next
FSU: The Seminoles host No. 6 Duke on Saturday.
UNC: The Tar Heels visit SMU on Saturday.