More Maui frustration for Lubin despite good game; contrasting Vegas luck for Cadeau, Jackson

It was more Maui frustration for Ven-Allen Lubin despite a good game, while Elliot Cadeau and Ian Jackson had contrasting luck in Vegas as holiday tournaments tipped off on Monday.

Tar Heels move up in AP men’s poll for their highest ranking in a year

North Carolina moved up two spots in the AP Top 25 men’s poll to No. 16 on Monday after beating Navy in its only game last week. The Tar Heels (5–0), who beat the Midshipmen 73–61 on Tuesday, are ranked the highest since they were No. 12 nearly one year ago on Nov. 25.

UNC moves up in Top 25 women’s poll after two blowout wins, remains highest-ranked ACC team

North Carolina moved up two spots in the AP Top 25 women’s poll to No. 12 after a pair of blowout victories last week against in-state, nonconference competition, and remains the highest-ranked ACC team.

Maye overcomes tough start to throw for career-high 294 yards, extend Pats’ streak to nine

Drake Maye said his game Sunday was about battling back from adversity. He threw for a career-high 294 yards and a touchdown in New England’s 26–20 come-from-behind win over Cincinnati to extend the Patriots’ win streak to nine. But his day started with an interception that was returned for a touchdown on the opening drive, the first pick-six of his career.

Defense dictates, offense dazzles in UNC’s best shooting game in 40 years

CHAPEL HILL — As Carolina’s relentless defense repeatedly caused havoc, the only question was whether UNCG’s field goal total would match its turnover total. It didn’t.

What went wrong for UNC, Belichick and what’s ahead?

CHAPEL HILL — The story of North Carolina’s football season isn’t one game or one call. It’s the accumulation of small edges lost and big moments missed, all after a massive offseason roster turnover and a highly paid head coach and staff trying to install new standards and a new identity. Coach Bill Belichick and his staff have fallen well short of whatever identity he or Tar Heels fans expected.

Facing double-teams, Tyson scores season-low 14 in loss; Key hits 17 in big UK win at Louisville

Cade Tyson learned Saturday night what life is like when you’re at the top of an opponent’s scouting report. After leading Minnesota in scoring in each of its first five games, Tyson was held to a season low of 14 points in a season-high 39 minutes as the Gophers lost to San Francisco 77–65 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Good, Bad and Ugly Report: Duke

For the third time this season, just like the games against California and Virginia, the Tar Heels found ways to lose the game. In a season of what might have been, this one will particularly sting in how it all fell apart.

Senior day turns into flag day as penalties, other mistakes doom UNC

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina’s small margin of error to beat Duke got thrown away in the form of repeated damaging penalty flags. Despite all that, the Tar Heels had a fourth-quarter lead and a shot at victory before the Blue Devils perfectly executed a fake field-goal attempt that led to the game-winning touchdown in a 32–25 victory Saturday at Kenan Stadium.

Golden-goal heartbreak as No. 1 UNC falls on agonizing OT bounce

DURHAM — It was national semifinal heartbreak for the second straight season for No. 1 North Carolina, this time delivered in agonizing fashion.

Confident Jackson scores 20 in St. John’s blowout; Nickel hits 20; tough game for Cadeau

In a Thursday night blowout win, Ian Jackson looked like the freshman who went on an epic seven-game mid-season run for Carolina last season and has the confidence to match. Jackson came off the bench to score 20 points in 21 minutes with four rebounds and three assists as No. 14 St. John’s rolled to a 97–49 home win over Bucknell after averaging 12.7 points in the Red Storm’s first three games.

Heels roll by A&T with perimeter, transition assault

GREENSBORO — No. 14 North Carolina turned the Corbett Sports Center court into a runway for the transition game to take off and the perimeter shots to fly. After averaging 26 3-point attempts in the first four games, the Tar Heels put up 22 by halftime. When they started falling, so did the Aggies in an 85–50 victory Thursday night as UNC scored a season-high 12 3-pointers.

White hits 27, assists on game-winner; 23 for Barnes; big G League games for Ingram, Davis, Nance

Coby White is off to a sensational start for the Chicago Bulls. He followed up his 27-point performance in his season debut on Sunday with 25 points, five 3-pointers, seven assists and two steals in Wednesday’s 122–121 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Belichick sees NFL-level challenge in Duke QB Mensah

Bill Belichick didn’t hesitate to identify the biggest challenge UNC faces against Duke: quarterback Darian Mensah, who reportedly is the highest-paid quarterback in the country and has put up the numbers to back that up.