North Carolina shot worse than it has in several years in a rare non-conference loss at home as the Tar Heels fell to Iowa 60-55. (12/3)

The Tar Heels had lost just three home non-conference games during the Roy Williams era but shot a miserable 28 percent from the floor in the loss.

Late in the game, Iowa also got seven offensive rebounds on six trips down the floor. The Hawkeyes broke a 51-51 tie with five minutes to go on a 9-4 run to take the win.

"They had one offensive rebound in the first half and 16 in the second half," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "They made plays."

Iowa's Mike Gesell, an AAU teammate of fellow Iowan Marcus Paige of UNC, broke a 55-all tie with 1:16 left as he drove the lane, scored and was given a foul on Tar Heel Isiah Hicks.

The three-point play was all the Hawkeyes needed as Paige committed a charge and then missed a long three with five seconds left.

Paige hit only four of 16 from the floor and Brice Johnson, saddled with foul trouble, hit only one of seven, with three or four of them being wide open put-back shots.

"They wanted it more than we did," Williams said. "We still had opportunities but we missed those opprotunities."

Kennedy Meeks was the only Carolina player to have much success as he scored 15 points and hauled in 12 rebounds but he fouled out with 1:57 to play and Carolina holding a 55-54 lead.

The Tar Heels trailed by as many as eight points in the first half and trailed at the break 31-29. Carolina went on a 9-0 run midway through the second half, highlighted by a Meeks fastbreak dunk, to take a 45-40 lead.

A 7-2 Iowa run tied it at 47 setting up the Hawkeyes' finish.

UNC, now 5-2, host East Carolina at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Boxscore