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After mostly cruising through four games, fifth-ranked North Carolina takes a different kind of challenge this week.The Maui Invitational should test the Tar Heels endurance.North Carolina has won each game by double-digit margins, so the likelihood for heightened competition is appealing at this stage of the season.I think that is what the whole team wants, Tar Heels guard Joel Berry said. We want a good challenge. We still have to go out there and play our hardest, so we can try and get better. I think going out to Maui and playing against some better competition will help us.The tournament schedule calls for three games in three days at Lahaina Civic Center, with the Tar Heels beginning Monday night against tournament host Chaminade (2-0), a Division II program.This is North Carolinas seventh appearance in the Maui Invitational, with the Tar Heels reaching the finals five times and winning the 1999, 2004 and 2008 events. The Tar Heels have a 15-3 record in the tournament.Coach Roy Williams said the competition is important. Hes also prone to point out the fringe benefits of the trip because he enjoys tropical weather.We go to Maui every four years for a reason -- the head coach likes it, Williams said.Yet the Tar Heels are aware that the basketball value is of utmost importance.We have to go with the right mindset, senior forward Kennedy Meeks said. I know its a nice place to go.North Carolina holds a 4-0 record for the first time since November 2012.Freshman post player Tony Bradley has scored in double figures in all four North Carolina games. Thats the most consecutive games in double figures at the beginning of a college career for a Tar Heel since Brandan Wrights 18-game stretch in 2006-07.Williams, with a 787-209 coaching record, moved into ninth place in Division I mens coaching victories with Friday nights 83-68 win at Hawaii. He passed Lefty Driesell.That game also resulted in the lowest point total of the season for the Tar Heels, who rang up more than 90 points in the first three games of the season -- something they hadnt done in 22 years.This marks the third Maui Invitational appearance in a row in which the Tar Heels will match up with Chaminade, though the last time it came in a consolation round.Chaminade, which was coming off a 12-15 record in 2015-16, hasnt played since winning Nov. 11 and 12 against Alaska Anchorage and Alaska, respectively, to open the new season.Our defense has been really, really good, sixth-year coach Eric Bovaird said on the schools web site. Its something weve focused on. Were getting better. Its something were going to focus on.Guards Rohndell Goodwin and Kiran Shastri averaged 24 and 20.5 points in the opening two games for Chaminade. Sam Daly, who was among the best in the Pacific West Conference last season in assists and steals, is a senior guard in his second year with the Silverswords after transferring from Grand Canyon.Starting out 2-0 going into Maui feels really good, Bovaird said.The North Carolina-Chaminade winner takes on the Connecticut-Oklahoma State winner in Tuesday nights semifinals, while the losers meet in the consolation bracket. Cheap Basketball Shoes Free Shipping . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. Basketball Shoes From China . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. https://www.cheapbasketballshoesstore.com/ . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Basketball Shoes Sale . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Discount Basketball Shoes . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. A year ago, Oklahoma went into its Big 12 Conference game with Kansas State smarting following a 24-17 upset loss to Texas in the Red River Rivalry. The Sooners took their frustrations out by handing the Wildcats their first home shutout loss since 1991, 55-0.This year, the 19th-ranked Sooners (3-2, 2-0) come into the contest after a 45-40 victory over the Longhorns. Needless to say, Bill Snyders Wildcats (3-2, 1-1), who scored a wild 44-38 victory over Texas Tech last week, are looking forward to Saturday afternoons rematch at Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla.We cant wait to go into OU and give them a little payback for last year, said Wildcats offensive tackle Dalton Risner.Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, an assistant on Snyders first seven Kansas State teams from 1989 to 1995, says last years convincing blowout win doesnt carry much weight this time around.Last year has nothing to do with this year, Stoops said during the Big 12 coaches teleconference. Were both two completely different teams. Weve got to continue to get better as a team. We havent played close to what we think we can play.Thats especially true on defense. The Sooners who rank 109th in points allowed at 36.2 points per game yielding 40 or more points in three consecutive games. A big reason for that has been due to a rash of injuries.Going into last weeks game against Texas, the Sooners were missing five players who had started on defense at some point this season. During the game, four more were forced out, leading to an influx of young -- or at least inexperienced -- players into Oklahomas defense.I dont recall that we had that many injuries at once and so many young guys going in there and playing, Stoops said before praising their performance.They figure to need another strong one Saturday when Oklahoma hosts Kansas State.The Wildcats have won their last two trips to Norman -- the only road team to win back-to-back road games against the Sooners since Stoops took over in 1999.The good news for the Soooners is that some of the injured players are expected back soon.dddddddddddd. Defensive back Ahmad Thomas is likely to be back after taking a knee to the head last week. Outside linebacker Will Johnson should be able to play against the Wildcats as well after missing the last two weeks.But there are still plenty of holes to fill.Itd be easier to say whos set to go, Stoops said when ticking off his injured players, mostly on the defensive side. Youve just got to keep (going). The guys had a good attitude about it and those young guys, credit to them -- they had their head in the game plan in practice and they were ready to play and for the most part played well.Safety Steven Parker, a junior, was affected as well. Not only did he have to shift from free safety to strong safety to nickel back during the course of the game but its his job to make sure everyone else in the secondary is aligned correctly.Its tough, trying to get yourself lined up and on top of that, making sure that theyre doing their responsibilities, doing everything theyre supposed to be doing, Parker said. Youre calling out the defense. Its a lot just on one play, especially covering those young guys. The majority of them know what theyre doing. Its really more communication and making sure everybody is all in one and all intact.Fortunately for the Sooners they have plenty of offensive weapons to cover up for their defensive woes. Oklahoma rolled up a season-high 672 yards in the Texas win. The contest marked the just the fifth time in FBS history that a team produced a 300-yard passer (Baker Mayfield, 390), a 200-yard rusher (Samaje Perine, 214) and a 200-yard receivers (Dede Westbrook, school-record 232 yards).Oklahoma is 15-2 under Stoops in Big 12 home openers and is 16-1 in the game after playing Texas. That lone loss was to Kansas State, 31-30, two years ago in Norman. ' ' '