CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Up by 16 in the first half, Virginia could not hold off visiting North Carolina after the break.

Caleb Wilson scored 20 points, Jarin Stevenson added 17, all in the second half, and Seth Trimble finished with 16 as the No. 22 Tar Heels surged past No. 14 Virginia after the break, winning 85-80 and snapping the Cavaliers’ five-game winning streak.

“Offensive we found a couple of plays that worked for us,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said.  “We took care of the basketball and were really efficient offensively. And we got the stops when we needed to.”

Thijs DeRidder scored 20 points and had eight rebounds for the UVA, which lost for the first at home this season.

Malik Thomas, Sam Lewis and Chance Mallory each added 11 for the Cavaliers. They lost despite a 44-47 edge on the glass, an advantage that helped lead to 17 second-chance points.

Virginia led by as many as 16 in the first half, but the game was tied 67-67 with under eight minutes to play. Carolina went ahead 75-74 with 2:51 to go on a 3-point play by Stevenson. 

“The defensive intensity was not where we needed it to be,” UVA coach Ryan Odom said. “The communication was lacking. Just in general a poor defensive performance overall.” 

DeRidder scored Virginia’s first five points of the game, starting a 10-0 run that saw the home team build a quick 10-2 edge just four minutes in. UNC answered with a 14-14 surge to tie the game at 14-14 with 13:46 left in the half, the final four points of that run coming from Wilson. 

The Cavaliers outscored UNC 29-20 from there, going ahead by as many as 16 and heading to the locker room up 43-34.

“I think Virginia’s physicality overwhelmed us in the first half,” Davis said.

But as good as Virginia was in the first half, the Tar Heels were even better to open the second. 

Carolina cut the lead to 52-49 with 15:55 to play on a 3-pointer from Dixon. Luka Bogavac’s floater made it a 1-point game, 54-53 UVA, with 14:02 to go. 

With 11:57 to play, Stevenson gave the Heels their first lead since the game’s opening minutes. His dunk put UNC ahead 59-58.

Virginia tied the game 67-67 with 7:58 to go when freshman point guard and former St. Anne’s-Belfield star scored on a tough baseline drive. 

DeRidder put UVA ahead 69-67 with a driving jumper with 7:04 left.

But Carolina outscored UVA 18-9 over the final 5:45 of play.

“Every time that we missed a shot, I think they were 1.3 points per possession right after that,” Odom said. “Throwing it over the top, kicking it out, fouls. Our transition defense was not where it needed to be throughout the night.”