Yale @ North Carolina preview

North Carolina hopes to carry over the momentum from a big victory before the holiday break when it hosts red-hot Yale on Monday night in the first meeting between the teams since 1980. The Tar Heels closed the first half on a 17-4 run and went on to defeat UCLA 74-64 in the CBS Sports Classic on Dec. 21 in Las Vegas to put an end a demoralizing four-game losing streak.

Coach Roy Williams can tie former North Carolina legend Dean Smith (879) for fourth all-time in Division I victories Monday as the Tar Heels continue to evolve after losing leading scorer Cole Anthony (19.1 points) indefinitely with a knee injury. Junior forward Garrison Brooks is the top option with Anthony gone and he has responded by averaging 15 points and nine rebounds over the last three games for North Carolina, which shoots just 40.5 percent from the field overall while leading the nation in rebounds per contest (44.6). The Tar Heels will have to be sharp against the Bulldogs, who won seven straight games before the break and extended that stretch against another ACC foe with a 54-45 road victory on Dec. 22 over Clemson. Yale held the Tigers to 31.9 percent shooting from the field and 4-of-20 from 3-point range while keeping an opponent to 61 points or fewer for the sixth time in the past eight contests.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network

ABOUT YALE (10-3): Junior forward Paul Atkinson recorded 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor against Clemson and leads the team in scoring (17.2) while contributing 7.2 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Azar Swain (15.2 points) has also made a major impact on the offensive end and 6-9 forward Jordan Bruner, who boasts two straight double-doubles, contributes 11.9 points along with team highs of 9.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. Senior guard Eric Monroe runs the show with five assists per contest for Yale, which is connecting on 36.6 percent from 3-point range despite making 5-of-20 at Clemson.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (7-5): The absence of Anthony has allowed opportunities for others, and freshmen guards Jeremiah Francis along with Anthony Harris have stepped up after knee injuries delayed the start of their seasons. Harris scored 14 in the victory over UCLA and has averaged seven in four games while Francis (6.0 per contest) has reached double figures in each of his last two outings. Freshman forward Armando Bacot is second in scoring (10.0) among active players and leads the way in rebounding (8.4) after registering his fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 boards versus UCLA.

TIP-INS

1. North Carolina senior G Brandon Robinson rebounded with 12 points against UCLA after being blanked by Gonzaga three days earlier.

2. Yale won the first meeting between the two teams in 1921 but has dropped the last six matchups after an 85-74 loss in 1980.

3. Tar Heels G-F Justin Pierce, who averaged 14.9 points at William & Mary last season, has scored a total of 10 the last four games.

PREDICTION: North Carolina 78, Yale 70