CHAPEL HILL — Coach Hubert Davis said that No. 20 North Carolina’s three-game skid had left his team “wounded,” and a down-to-the-wire win as an 18-point favorite wasn’t exactly the best treatment for that.

CHAPEL HILL — Carolina will have to learn how to win when giving up a lot of height, but the Tar Heels didn’t show the toughness to make that happen against a long Alabama team. The No. 10 Tide’s size and length were too much for the No. 20 Tar Heels, who fell behind by double-digits in the first half for the fourth consecutive game. UNC could never mount a significant rally in a 94–79 loss Wednesday in the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge.

LAHAINA, Hawai’i — No. 12 North Carolina learned some tough lessons during a frustrating week in Maui that ended with plenty of fight against Michigan State but not enough defense at the end. Rebounding and defense are still big problems for the Tar Heels, but in their 94–91 overtime loss to the Spartans in the Maui Invitational consolation game Wednesday at the Lahaina Civic Center, they saw freshman Drake Powell’s confidence and role expand.

LAHAINA, Hawai’i — You could see the anger on Seth Trimble’s face as he talked about No. 12 Carolina’s effort on both ends of the court against No. 4 Auburn. The Tigers kept coming with offensive weapons, and the Tar Heels could not stop it or emerge from yet another early hole. UNC never led in an 85–72 loss Tuesday in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center.

LAHAINA, Hawai’i — Carolina basketball history wouldn’t have happened without the stern message Coach Hubert Davis delivered to his team at the first TV timeout of the second half. The No. 12 Tar Heels had only cut an 18-point deficit by one point, and Davis saw many reasons. All of them were frustrating.

LAHAINA, Hawaii — Coach Hubert Davis has seen enough stretches to know that No. 10 North Carolina can play at an elite level. His mission is to be that efficient more consistently. That will be even more important during the three-day Maui Invitational, which features an elite field and begins with a first-round game Monday at 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2) against 5–0 Dayton.

HONOLULU — There may have been no jet lag for No. 10 North Carolina, but the Tar Heels rebounding desire was late to arrive. That, and Elliot Cadeau sitting for 14 first-half minutes with two fouls kept Hawai’i in the game for one half. Carolina turned on the jets of its potent transition game and ran it into overdrive in the second half, pulling away for an 87–69 victory Friday at a packed Stan Sheriff Center.

CHAPEL HILL — Jalen Washington unleashed plenty of emotions after he took a transition pass from Elliot Cadeau and hammered home a powerful dunk in the second half Friday against American. Seeing Washington wave his arms and yell surprised Coach Hubert Davis, but he’s convinced that much more than his highlight-reel slam was behind that reaction.

The overlap of football and men’s basketball sometimes creates challenges for the Tar Heel Sports Network, and this weekend’s schedule delivers some.

North Carolina held at No. 10 in the AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll after rolling to a 107–55 home win Friday over American.