CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- — Luka Bogavac had 19 points in his first college start to help No. 18 North Carolina beat Radford 89-74 on Tuesday night.

Henri Veesaar had added 18 points for the Tar Heels (3-0), while freshman Caleb Wilson had 13 points and 14 rebounds. Jarin Stevenson shook off an first-half injury scare to finish with 15 points.

The Tar Heels didn't fully take control until the latter stages of the first half in their first game since Friday's rousing home win against fellow blueblood Kansas. It also marked their first game since learning senior guard Seth Trimble would be out after surgery for a broken left arm, leading to Bogavac's start.

The Tar Heels sputtered early with a 1-for-11 start from 3-point range. Worse, they also missed 10 first-half free throws with a chance to really stretch the lead.

Still, the Tar Heels pushed to a 15-point lead by late in the first half and never allowed the margin to slide below double figures again.

UNC shot just 38.5%, made 8 of 31 3-pointers and finished the game with 18 missed free throws on its 49 trips to the line. UNC led by as many as 26.

Dennis Parker Jr., who played two college seasons at UNC rival N.C. State, scored 23 points to lead the Highlanders (2-1), while Del Jones had 22. They shot 34.3% for the game, but just 7 of 30 from 3-point range.

Radford, in its first season under 33-year-old coach Zach Chu, is picked fourth in the Big South Conference.

Up next

Radford: The Highlanders face Wright State on Saturday in the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

UNC: The Tar Heels play for the fourth time in a five-game homestand to open the season by hosting N.C. Central on Friday.

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