Through seven games, the UNC men’s basketball team is off to its worst start since the 2010-11 season. With a revamped roster following the departure of three starters, the Tar Heels find themselves with a 4-3 record about one month into the season. For letter grades for each component of the team so far, please click here.

Coming from behind three games in a row proved too much for North Carolina as the Tar Heels came from 10 down to force overtime but faltered in the extra time as Michigan State won third place in the Maui Invitational by a 94-91 score. (11/27)

Carolina trailed by as many as 14 in the first half and went into the second half down 43-34. After trailing by 10 at 49-39, the Heels went on a 19-8 run – scoring on eight straight trips down the floor in just four minutes – to take the lead at 58-57.

A rattled Spartan team was about to call a timeout when MSU’s Jeremy Fears pushed off a nagging Eliot Cadeau and the officials called the foul on Cadeau in front of the Michigan State bench. There was some yacking and finger pointing, even by the Michigan State coaching staff. UNC coach Hubert Davis charged out of the coaches box and picked up a technical.

Courtside observers indicated that Coach Davis was reacting to the dust-up in front of the Spartans’ bench and wasn’t arguing the call – which nonetheless appeared to be a bad one.

MSU’s Frankie Fidler hit the two free throws as Michigan State went up 59-58. As it turned out, the Spartans never trailed again until briefly in overtime.

“I didn’t get an explanation,” Coach Davis said of the technical call. “Look, I’m an emotional coach but I don’t use profane language nor do I do it in a way to show up the refs. I was shocked that I picked up a technical foul.”

Michigan State, which outscored Carolina 50-30 in the paint, got a few dunks, tips and follow shots to keep the lead around four to eight points. With less than 90 seconds to go, it looked to be over as the Tar Heels trailed 80-73.

But Cadeau started a 9-2 run with an assist to RJ Davis, who was fouled. After that old-fashioned three-point play, Cadeau canned a three from the top of the key to bring the Heels within a point at 80-79.

With 34 seconds to go, UNC’s Seth Trimble forced a turnover and the Tar Heels went on the attack. With 20 seconds to go Cadeau beautifully flew by a pair of defenders but missed an open layup.

Following a pair of free throws by MSU’s Trey Holloman, who had a career-high 19 points, Carolina trailed 82-79 with less than 14 seconds to go. Following a timeout, Carolina’s Trimble got the call and put in a three from the right wing to send the game to overtime.

Midway through the extra period, freshman Drake Powell drained a three from the right wing and Cadeau hit a pair of free throws to give the Heels a brief 87-86 lead. But then Carolina missed four shots in a row and Michigan State went on a 6-1 run to hang on for the victory.

“We couldn’t keep ’em out of the paint, we couldn’t guard ’em one on one and we couldn’t get rebounds or loose balls,” Coach Davis said. “They want to get the ball in the paint and we just couldn’t stop ’em.”

Carolina shot well – hitting 50 percent from the floor including 11 of 23 from the three-point line but it wasn’t enough.

Powell, who had four threes, led the scoring for the Tar Heels with 18 points off the bench. Cadeau had 17 points, followed by Davis’ 16 and Ian Jackson’s 14.

Michigan State improves to 6-2 while Carolina, who plays national power Alabama Wednesday in Chapel Hill, falls to 4-3.

Box score

North Carolina has rallied in most second halfs this year, including a comeback win over Dayton the night before, but the Tar Heels got down by 19 and couldn’t challenge No. 4 Auburn as the War Eagles won 85-72 in the Maui Invitational semi-finals. (11/27)

After the second largest comeback in Carolina history against Dayton, UNC coach Hubert Davis said it wasn’t sustainable getting down and having to make comebacks. He was proven right just a day later.

All-America player Johni Broome put the Tar Heels in a hole early scoring Auburn’s first seven points and nine of the first 16 for the War Eagles. In the first five minutes Auburn hit three triples to gain control at 19-6.

“They were in control the whole game,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “They were disruptive defensively with their physicality.” He said that was the difference in the game.

The Tar Heels were still in it at the half as Auburn rode Broome’s first-half double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) to a 40-32 advantage.

But not only didn’t Carolina make a run once the second half started, the War Eagles went on a 12-2 run in the first three minutes of the second stanza. During that run, Auburn hit three more three pointers and finished with 11 triples.

The Heels had a chance to cut the deficit to single digits with about six minutes left but Eliot Cadeau came up short on the shot and Brome was fouled on the rebound. He went on to hit two free throws to give Auburn a 73-60 lead.

By the time Carolina did get the deficit to nine at 75-66 after a Seth Trimble three, there were only three minutes to go. Auburn went on a quick 8-0 run to end any threat of a comeback.

“We had some spurts but we weren’t good enough to win tonight,” Coach Davis said.

Trimble had 17 points to lead Carolina while RJ Davis added 12, after scoring 30 the night before. Cadeau, Ven-Allen Lubin and Jae’lyn Withers each tallied 10 points.

Broome finished with 23 points and 19 rebounds to lead Auburn, which improves to 6-0.

Carolina, now 4-2, plays Michigan State in the third place game at 9:30 Wednesday. The Auburn game started at 11:35 Tuesday.

Box score

North Carolina rallied from 21 points down during a frantic second half to defeat Dayton in the Maui Invitational. It was the second largest comeback in Tar Heel history. (11/26)

RJ Davis, who led the way with 30 points including 20 in the second half, and freshman Drake Powell, who had hit only one three-pointer all season, swished back-to-back threes to give the Tar Heels an 88-87 lead with 1:13 to go.

Davis sank four straight free throws in the last 14 seconds and the Heels survived what would have been a tying three-pointer from Dayton that was correctly ruled a two after review as the Tar Heels took the improbable victory.

Down by 18 at the half, Carolina pushed the action in the second half, outscoring the Flyers 59-39 in the last stanza.

“If we want to play at an elite level we have to start at the beginning of the game,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “But I’m so proud of their fight in the second half – it showed a lot about their character.”

The game was nip-and-tuck early as there were three ties and seven lead changes until Dayton went on a furious 11-0 run over the span of just 90 seconds. Three different Flyers hit threes during the spurt, which ended with Dayton up 34-22 with 6:29 left in the opening half.

Dayton, which is averaging eight three-point field goals per game, hit seven threes in the first half alone and finished with a season-high 14. But it was the Tar Heel turnovers that set the tone for the first half.

Carolina, which averages just seven turnovers per game, turned it over five times in the first four minutes and finished the first half with 12 turnovers. The Flyers took advantage by scoring 19 points off of those Carolina miscues to take a commanding 51-33 lead into the half. UNC had only three turnovers in the second half to finish with 15 total.

Carolina was down 56-35 early in the second half when the Heels started chipping away. A three from UNC freshman Ian Jackson cut the margin to 14 with just over 14 minutes to go. A Davis three from the right wing got the deficit to single digits at 66-58 with 10:17 left.

The Heels cut it to three on several occasions but couldn’t get over the hump until free throws from Seth Trimble followed by those threes from Davis and Powell put Carolina up for good at 88-87 in the closing two minutes.

Joining Davis in double figures was Trimble, who had career highs in scoring (27) and rebounding (10), and Eliot Cadeau, who fought foul trouble to score 10.

Nate Santos led six Flyers in double figures with 15 points as previously unbeaten Dayton fell to 5-1.

Carolina, now 4-1, take on No. 4 Auburn at 11 p.m. Tuesday in the semi-finals of the Maui Invitational. The Dayton game started at 11:45 Monday.

Box score

It could have been a trap game for North Carolina – playing an unheralded but undefeated Hawaii team prior to taking part in the Maui Invitational. But the Tar Heels broke open a close contest early in the second half and went on to win 87-69.

Elliot Cadeau picked up two quick fouls to start the game and missed 13 minutes sitting on the bench. As a result, 5th year senior RJ Davis took over, scoring 14 in the first half to give the Tar Heels an uncomfortable 41-34 halftime lead.

“The guys reacted well to a sell-out crowd and an undefeated team,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “I challenged them at the half in the locker room that it had to be a different story in the second half.”

A 19-4 run early in the second half put Carolina in control at 60-40 with 13:50 to go. Cadeau and Seth Trimble turned the accelerator on to lead the rush.

During the run, Trimble picked up a steal and got it up court to Cadeau for a layup that put up the Heels up by 14. Then Cadeau returned the favor by stealing the ball and getting it to Trimble for a dunk that gave UNC an 18-point lead.

The lead never got below 12 the rest of the way as Carolina worked the margin up to 21 at 78-57 on a spinning shot in the lane by transfer Cade Tyson, who had perhaps his best game as a Tar Heel.

Coach Davis praised Tyson for his defense and his aggressiveness which included a baseline drive dunk and a three from the corner on his way to nine points.

It was the guards that led the way on this night though as Davis had a game-high 18 points while Cadeau, in only 23 minutes, tallied 17 and Trimble, who hit six free throws, finished with 13.

Ian Jackson managed to also reach double figures with six free throws of his own on the way to 11 points.

Forcing turnovers and getting out on the fast break helped Carolina keep Hawaii, who out rebounded the Heels 40-27, at bay. The Heels had a 19-0 advantage on the fastbreak and a 17-5 edge in points off turnovers.

Hawaii, led by Gytis Nemeiksa’s 16 points and 10 rebounds, fall to 4-1.

Carolina, now 3-1, take on Dayton in the first round of the Maui Invitational Monday at 11:30 p.m. The Hawaii game started at 12:35 a.m Saturday and ended at 2:40 a.m.

For a box score, please click here.