DURHAM — Their expressions told it all.

North Carolina’s usually exuberant assistant coach Andrew Calder stood stone-faced before a timeout with 3:53 left in the second half. Freshman Tierra Ruffin-Pratt buried her face in a towel. Team leaders Italee Lucas and Cetera DeGraffenreid stared blankly ahead.

They all knew. It was over.

Marcus Ginyard’s breakout game didn’t change the end result for North Carolina.

Despite the senior’s 17 points (tying his career high) the Tar Heels dropped their sixth game in the last seven Sunday afternoon in College Park, Md., losing 92-71 to Maryland.

Deon Thompson also chipped in 16, and Will Graves scored 11 for UNC (13-10, 2-6 ACC).

DURHAM — The North Carolina women’s lacrosse team’s South of the Border Tournament was canceled due to weather, so the Tar Heels scrimmaged Duke and beat the Blue Devils on Sunday afternoon 13-3.

The tournament was set to have both teams face off against eight others in a full day of exhibition games.

DURHAM — During the first half of Sunday’s lacrosse scrimmage against Duke, North Carolina allowed two goals inside the first 13 minutes and conceded another seven minutes later.

But from then on, the Tar Heels’ back line was flawless, shutting out the Blue Devils the rest of the way en route to a 13-3 victory on Duke’s West Campus fields.

BLACKSBURG, Va. — With the clock winding down and North Carolina desperately needing a stop, Virginia Tech put the ball in the hands of its best guard and the ACC’s leading scorer, Malcolm Delaney.

And once again, the Tar Heels failed to stop an opposing guard. Delaney’s two free throws in the final minute iced the VT win.

Before Thursday’s game against Miami, coach Sylvia Hatchell emphasized to her players the importance of a win.

After an 80-69 loss, North Carolina (16-5) will have to wait for another chance. UNC dropped its second consecutive game against a conference opponent.

After trailing for most of the game, UNC rallied from a 13-point deficit to tie the game 61-61 with 7:05 remaining.

With a strong close to the first half, North Carolina leads Virginia Tech, 35-33 at the half.

Point guard Larry Drew II sparked the Tar Heels' comeback, repeatedly slicing into the lane and dishing to teammates. Drew scored the go-ahead bucket in the closing seconds of the half. He has four points and five assists.

Butch Davis called the recruiting class of 2010 a prototype for the future of his program at North Carolina.

“This is somewhat typical of what a recruiting class in future years would look like,” Davis said. “The first couple years you have to recruit on need. … In this particular class we signed someone at every position except quarterback.”

Greg Oden.

Christ, man, what were you thinking?

As if your career weren’t a joke already, you decide it’s a good idea to whip out your cell phone — and your penis — and take pictures of yourself naked in front of a mirror.

And if that weren’t bad enough, the idea of sending these pictures to someone fell into the “plausible ideas” section of your brain.

Roy Williams sits at a midweek press conference early this season in the Smith Center, answering questions about collegiate athletics.

“If we play one fewer home game, it affects field hockey, it affects baseball, it affects everything we do here,” Williams said.

Money, expensive cars and pricey mansions have become synonymous with professional athletes.

But as a couple of North Carolina women’s soccer players are about to find out, not all professional athletes lead a life of luxury.

Marvin Austin writhed in the thrill of victory as he stomped off the field at Kenan Stadium, convulsing with the emotion of North Carolina’s 33-24 win against Miami last November.

His dreadlocks snapped at the air, flicking drops of sweat toward the crowd pounding at the tunnel into the locker rooms. Spit flew as he howled at the bright lights, the TV cameras, the 58,000 fans.

UNC is trying its hardest to make sure Virginia guard Sylven Landesberg does not get going, but it doesn't seem to be doing much good. Landesberg is 8-11 so far, and has scored on an assortment of layups and jumpshots. If he continues to shoot at a 73 percent clip, it will be extremely difficult for UNC to win.

RALEIGH — N.C. State wasn’t the toughest opponent North Carolina has faced this season. But re-creating coach Roy Williams’ winning formula of tough defense and aggressive offense after a three-game losing streak might have ended up being the Tar Heels’ steepest challenge.