Badgers fall to North Carolina in Maui

“We have a chip on our shoulder and we’re going to continue to get better as the year goes on”, Berry said.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Josh Jackson had 22 points, Frank Mason III and Devonte Graham were almost as productive and Kansas rolled to a victory over Alabama-Birmingham in the CBE Classic semifinals. UNC ranks last in the ACC against the run, allowing more than 233 yards per game. The Billikens (5-0), who led by 16 in the first quarter, made 71 percent of their shots inside the 3-point arc and held Morgan State (1-2) to 25 percent.

“I think it’s become the identity of this team, and there are times when it’s not pretty”, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said.

The game was played before a capacity crowd in a 2,400-seat arena with spectators packed into standing-room only areas in all corners of the building.

The Badgers are a talented and experienced team, but you can’t win with numbers like that, especially against a great team like North Carolina, who also has returned a lot this season. Unable to handle North Carolina’s length on defense or hit shots when they were open, Wisconsin missed its first 11 from the field and needed almost 7 1/2 minutes to score.

North Carolina tries to keep its record for the season ideal and claim its fourth Maui Invitational title at the same time.

Nairn, a 5-foot-10 junior, had scored nine points through the first four games but blew past that with 11 after halftime. Once the Tar Heels turned into a bully, they were able to run away from the Silverswords.

As a veteran team with a couple young stars, look for this to be a preparation game for the tough rest of the tournament.

Most of those came here during the first half, with Chaminade keeping things close. Kennedy Meeks scored 15 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, while Joel Berry II scored 22 points to lead Roy Williams’ team. His free throw gave UNC a 47-29 lead with a little more than 11 ½ minutes remaining.

North Carolina leads the all-time series 2-1, but all three games have been tight. After shooting 37.9 percent in the first half, though, UNC shot 60.7 in the second. The still-pending NCAA investigation into academic fraud at Carolina has lingered for so long it’s possibly made the school taboo to big-name recruits but hasn’t prevented the Tar Heels from acquiring guys willing to develop over time.

“The second shots that they kept getting were key”, Georgetown coach John Thompson III said.

“They’re just not playing very well and not playing very smart and not contributing”, Self said.

The Wolfpack, meanwhile, have recorded just one SU win in their past six, going 3-3 ATS, and are just 1-3 in their past four against North Carolina.

UNC Freshman: The young Tar Heels will be under the microscope tonight.

The Badgers eliminated North Carolina in a Sweet 16 game in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

UW’s largest deficit in Maui – a trip that includes wins over Tennessee (74-62) and Georgetown (73-57) – has been two points.

The Tar Heels are long, athletic and considered national-title contenders even with forwards Luke Maye and Theo Pinson out with injuries.

Unusual things seem to happen when these two teams meet in Chapel Hill, with Bernard’s punt return (2012), Russell Wilson’s “2-yard Hail Mary” (2010), being the most recent examples.