California withstands furious rally to knock off No. 14 North Carolina

Field Level Media|published: Sat 17th January, 18:43 2026

NCAA Basketball: North Carolina at California

Jan 17, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears forward Lee Dort (center left) dunks against North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) and center Henri Veesaar (13) during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

John Camden poured in 20 points, Dai Dai Ames added 19 and California ended its three-game losing streak with a thrilling 84-78 Atlantic Coast Conference victory at home over No. 14 North Carolina on Saturday.

Justin Pippen made two clutch free throws with 10 seconds to play to help the Bears (14-5, 2-4 ACC) hold off a furious rally by the Tar Heels (14-4, 2-3).

The Bears fueled their success by shooting 53.8% (14 of 26) from beyond the arc, notching their second win over a ranked team this season. Pippen tallied 19 points and five assists.

Caleb Wilson scored 17 points to lead the Tar Heels, who have dropped two in a row and have allowed 58 3-pointers in the last four games. Derek Dixon (14), Henri Veesaar (14) and Seth Trimble (12) also reached double figures.

California led 54-37 at the half and Ames extended the lead to 61-41 with 18:17 remaining, knocking down his third trey of the day.

North Carolina didn't fold, and an 18-3 run late in the game pulled the Tar Heels within 77-73 with 3:21 to go after Jaydon Young made two free throws.

It was 79-75 after Trimble's free throws with 1:47 remaining and 81-78 after Veesaar's 3-pointer with 19 seconds left.

North Carolina has struggled to slow down opponents from the 3-point line lately, and that continued early against California, as the Bears scored the first seven points and led 10-3 with 17:22 left after Ames buried California's second 3-pointer of the day.

The Tar Heels responded with a 7-0 run, knotting the score at 10-10 on a long-range shot from Trimble with 16:16 remaining.

The burst of momentum didn't last long as the Bears used a 16-3 run, including 11 straight points, to surge in front 26-13 with 11:10 to go after a Milos Illic layup.

The Tar Heels were within 31-26 after a pair of free throws by Veesaar with 6:51 to play.

In the final 4:22, however, California blitzed North Carolina, making five shots from beyond the arc, including two apiece from Pippen and Camden, and rolled into halftime with a 17-point cushion.

--Field Level Media

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