The basketball team traveled to Chapel Hill Saturday afternoon and fell to the rival Tar Heels for the second time this season. As it did in its first meeting with the Heels of the season, the Pack faded over the final 15 minutes before falling by double digits.   State trailed by 10 with 12:44 to play ,   came back to cut the deficit to six, at 56-50 with 6:18 to play, then faltered late, falling by a final score of 72-56.

The loss was the Pack’s seventh in its last eight games and sixth in a row in conference play.   Carolina notched its second victory in its past nine games, both of which came at the expense of the Wolfpack. UNC   has only beaten one team since a Jan. 10 win over Virginia Tech .

Both teams shot the ball well during the first half, as State converted on 40 percent of its first half field goal attempts, while the Tar Heels shot 46 percent from the field. Led by 11 first half points from junior forward Tracy Smith, State trailed by just two points going into intermission.   But subpar offensive effort over the final twenty minutes cost the Wolfpack once again, as State   was outscored 41-30 in the second half.