THE MATCHUP
♦ North Carolina (9-2) will play its final game before the Christmas holiday and its second in three days when it hosts Appalachian State (2-8) on Monday night in Chapel Hill.
♦ The Mountaineers and Tar Heels will tip off just after 7 p.m. in the Smith Center.
♦ Dave O’Brien and LaPhonso Ellis will call the game for an ESPN2 national television audience. Every Tar Heel game in December will be televised nationally.
TAR HEEL STORYLINES
♦ Carolina is coming off an 89-76 victory over UCLA, a win that saw UNC shoot a season-high 61.