Boston College @ North Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 21, 2017 ) North Carolina 90, Boston College 82

No. 18 North Carolina hopes to avoid its first three-game losing streak in four years when vastly-improved Boston College pays a visit for an ACC matchup on Tuesday night. The Tar Heels, who are off to their worst league start (1-2) since going 0-3 in 2013-14, lost by one point at Florida State last Wednesday and shot just 29.6 percent from the field while turning the ball over 19 times in a 61-49 setback at Virginia on Saturday.

“We just need some more guys to give effort,” North Carolina senior point guard Joel Berry II told the Raleigh News & Observer. “That’s the biggest thing right now - Xs and Os, all that stuff, you can take care of that. Playing hard and giving intensity and knowing that each and every play is important, that’s what we’ve got to get guys to understand.” The Tar Heels will have to be alert against Boston College, which has wins against Duke and Wake Forest at home and lost at Virginia by just a single point. Junior guard Jerome Robinson leads a high-scoring trio in the backcourt for the Eagles - all logging at least 34 minutes per game - and is averaging 27.3 points with 11 makes from 3-point range over the last three contests. “We don’t wear down - knock on wood,” BC coach Jim Christian told reporters. “We rest. We don’t really practice that long because these guys know what we’re doing.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ACC Network

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (11-5, 2-2 ACC): Robinson tops the team in scoring (18.5) and is draining 46.8 percent of his 3-point attempts while sophomore Ky Bowman (15.7) and junior Jordan Chatman (13.5) give the Eagles three major threats. Chatman hopes to rebound from a 2-for-10 shooting performance over the last two games and Bowman contributes 7.1 rebounds along with a team-high 5.0 assists. Freshman forward Steffon Mitchell scored 17 against Wake Forest - more than 10 above his average - and boasts a season-high four blocks in each of the last two contests.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (12-4, 1-2): Junior forward Luke Maye managed a season-low six points on 2-of-10 shooting at Virginia and relinquished the team scoring lead to Berry, dropping to 17.3 points along with a Tar Heel-best 10.4 rebounds. Berry averaged 20.7 points over the last six games to push his season mark to 17.9, but North Carolina started the week 178th in the nation in least turnovers per game (13.4). “It’s lot of things,” coach Roy Williams told reporters. “We’ve got to be stronger with the ball. … You’ve got to get your brain and your heart both involved.”

TIP-INS

1. The Tar Heels have won 10 straight meetings and the last time the Eagles won in Chapel Hill, N.C. was 2009.

2. North Carolina junior G Kenny Williams (12.7 points) has drained 34 from 3-point range - second on the team behind Berry (39).

3. Robinson, Bowman and Chatman have combined to shoot 40.2 percent from 3-point range, making 102 in all (6.4 per game).

PREDICTION: North Carolina 74, Boston College 66