FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Henri Veesaar scored 24 points and Caleb Wilson added 20 as No. 16 North Carolina pulled away in the second half for an 85-70 victory over St. Bonaventure in the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Tuesday night.
Kyan Evans added 11 points and Luka Bogavac 10 for the Tar Heels (6-0), who are off to their best start since 2016-17.
Buddy Simmons II scored 22 for St. Bonaventure (5-1), while Frank Mitchell added 18 points.
It was the second meeting between the teams, and the first since March 15, 1968 when No. 4 North Carolina beat No. 3 St. Bonaventure 91-72 in the NCAA East Region semifinal at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Tar Heels went on to lose to UCLA in the national championship game.
The Tar Heels jumped to a 15-5 lead with a combination of 3-pointers and three-point plays. But St. Bonaventure kept rallying in the first half and took a 30-28 lead on Andrew Osasuyi’s dunk to cap a 16-4 run.
The Bonnies’ quick hands and feet not only blocked shots but slapped away attempts before North Carolina players could put them up but the Tar Heels led 35-33 at halftime.
The 7-foot Veesaar asserted himself more in the paint in the second half as North Carolina went up 47-38, 63-50 and 69-52. He had 16 of his points in the second half while adding 13 rebounds. Wilson had 12 rebounds and Tar Heels scored 36 points in the paint.
North Carolina will play Michigan State on Thursday In the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
St. Bonaventure will play East Carolina on Thursday In the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
