Tar Heels fall in AP Top 25 men’s poll after second consecutive loss

Oklahoma will be ranked higher than North Carolina when the teams meet on Wednesday after the Sooners moved up four spots to No. 7 and the Tar Heels fell two spots to No. 11 in the AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll released Monday afternoon. The Sooners (10–0) and Tar Heels (7–3) meet at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center at 9 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN) in the final game of the four-game, two-day Jumpman Invitational.

UNC moves up in the AP Top 25 women’s poll after rolling to win

North Carolina moved up one spot to No. 24 in the AP Top 25 women’s poll after coasting to a 96–36 win Friday over Western Carolina in the Tar Heels’ only game last week. The Tar Heels (7–4) face Oklahoma (6–3) on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center in the second Jumpman Invitational. The Sooners have lost three of their last four, and haven’t played since losing 92–76 at home to UNLV on Dec. 9.

Ustby’s parents built Triangle house when UNC career started, quickly embraced area

CHAPEL HILL — Alyssa Ustby’s conversation with her dad after committing to North Carolina is hard to imagine for a star who has been integral to the program’s resurgence. Todd Ustby, 61, told her that he and her mom, Lisa, planned to build a second house in the Triangle to avoid frequent trips from their Rochester, Minn., home during her college career and be closer to her. His daughter’s first reaction wasn’t positive.

Love’s 29 not enough against Purdue; Dunn’s career-high 17, Johnson’s 15 can’t push Penn State over Jackets

Three former Carolina players had big games in tough losses Saturday.
Caleb Love’s season-high 29 points, 20 in the second half, weren’t enough for No. 1 Arizona to overcome No. 3 Purdue. D’Marco Dunn scored a career-high 17 points and Puff Johnson had a season-high 15 points in a tough overtime loss with a controversial finish.

UNC can’t match Kentucky’s physicality or make enough plays at the end

ATLANTA — Cormac Ryan found his shot in Atlanta, but Armando Bacot could barely get off any shots against No. 14 Kentucky’s tall, physical lineup that dominated the boards. Even with Bacot neutralized for most of the game, No. 9 Carolina challenged No. 14 Kentucky until the end but couldn’t get enough stops or plays in the final minutes as the Wildcats held on for an 87–83 victory Saturday at the CBS Sports Classic in the State Farm Arena.

Healthier Heels pick up the pace, roll past Western Carolina

CHAPEL HILL — In probably the last sure win on No. 25 North Carolina’s schedule, the Tar Heels took full advantage on a feel-good night full of holiday cheers and torrid defense. Eager to rebound from a short-handed loss to No. 17 UConn, the Tar Heels — with two players back who didn’t play in that game — dominated Western Carolina at Carmichael Arena. UNC led by 64 points late before finishing off a 96–36 win behind senior wing Alyssa Ustby’s 23 points.