By BOB SUTTON Associated Press
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Caleb Wilson scored 22 points and Luka Bogavac added 10 points and five assists in their North Carolina debuts as the No. 25 Tar Heels beat Central Arkansas 94-54 in the teams’ season opener on Monday night.
Kyan Evans hit four 3-pointers and scored 15 points, Henri Veesaar added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Seth Trimble scored 12 points as the Tar Heels won their opener for the 21st consecutive season.
Cole McCormick led Central Arkansas with nine points, though he went to the bench with his fourth foul early in the second half and fouled out with 4:56 left.
The 22-year-old Bogavac, a 6-goot-6 guard from Montenegro whose eligibility clearance was announced by the university about 30 minutes before tipoff, entered as the game’s first substitute and piled up eight points and three assists by halftime.
Wilson shot 8 for 10 from the field with a variety of dunks and made his only 3-point attempt. Wilson and Evans had 12 points apiece in the first half, which ended with North Carolina holding a 51-23 lead.
North Carolina’s 18-0 first-half run stretched the margin to 39-13 as the Bears went almost eight minutes without a point. The Tar Heels grabbed 10 offensive rebounds before the break and outscored Central Arkansas 11-0 on free throws.
Central Arkansas, playing the first of four nonconference matchups against power-conference opponents in the first two months of the season, shot 31.3% from the field. Eight of the Bears’ 20 field goals were 3-pointers.
Up Next
Central Arkansas: At home against Champion Christian on Saturday.
North Carolina: Hosts No. 19 Kansas on Friday.