CHAPEL HILL — With the worst free-throw shooting team in the ACC, close games are always going to be perilous for No. 16 North Carolina. Add poor rebounding and damaging turnovers, and it produced overtime heartbreak for the second time in three weeks.

In a shot at North Carolina during a preseason gathering of N.C. State fans, first-year Wolfpack coach Will Wade said that “the other school was too dumb” to play Ven-Allen Lubin. Wade said that when Lubin played “28-plus minutes” for the Tar Heels, he averaged 15 points and eight rebounds. Wade wasn’t far off: Lubin is averaging 14.0 points and 7.6 rebounds in those eight games. In 15 games overall for N.C. State, he’s averaging 26.7 minutes, 11.6 points and 7.0 rebounds.

CHAPEL HILL — No. 16 North Carolina endured 21 minutes of uneven play with careless mistakes and bad shooting. But once the Tar Heels found their rhythm, they delivered 19 of their most efficient minutes of the season.

Here’s a look at Thursday’s noon ACC matchup between California and No. 16 Cal at Carmichael Arena.

North Carolina heads into the new year in position to host first- and second-round games in the NCAA women’s tournament, but still with a lot of work ahead.

North Carolina moved up two spots to No. 16 in the AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll after a pair of decisive home victories last week.

CHAPEL HILL — No. 18 North Carolina moved to 11–3 on Sunday in an all-around win over Charleston Southern, led by season-highs of 19 points and six 3-pointers from freshman Nyla Brooks.

CHAPEL HILL — The scars from Sunday’s disastrous ACC opener will likely linger, but lowly UNCW was just the cure to help No. 18 North Carolina bounce back strongly and try to move on. With a substantial height and talent advantage, UNC rolled to an 84–34 victory over the Seahawks on Wednesday night at Carmichael Arena.

North Carolina fell to a season-low No. 18 in the AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll after Sunday’s 76–66 overtime home loss to Louisville.

CHAPEL HILL — With the way No. 12 North Carolina played, Coach Courtney Banghart felt fortunate her Tar Heels even had a chance to win.

Here’s a look at Sunday’s 4 p.m. home game for the No. 12 North Carolina women against No. 22 Louisville in the Tar Heels’ big ACC opener.

Carolina moved up two spots in the AP Top 25 men’s poll released Monday, earning a season-high ranking of No. 14.

CHAPEL HILL — There have been plenty of lessons in dealing with physicality for No. 16 North Carolina in the first nine games, and Coach Hubert Davis says that progress has been evident.

CHAPEL HILL — Carolina headed into the exam break with a less-than-challenging test but an impressive bounce-back blowout.