The Associated Press

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A letdown was perhaps inevitable for North Carolina after an impressive start that included back-to-back wins over Kansas and Stanford to win the preseason NIT.Then again, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge provided the Tar Heels with their first real road test of the season.

It was one they didn't pass Tuesday night.

"I just feel we didn't exhibit the poise that we had previously," Carolina coach Matt Doherty said after No. 25 Illinois ran away in the final eight minutes and routed the No. 12 Tar Heels 92-65.

"They just played better than we did, but we'll bounce back," Doherty said. "We have a tough game Saturday against Kentucky, so we have to."

A tight seven-point game Tuesday night turned lopsided when Illinois finished on a 28-8 run over the final 7:42, sending Carolina to its first loss after five straight wins.

"It wasn't a 27-point game, we pulled ahead late," Illinois coach Bill Self said. "They caught us on a night when we played well and we caught them when they didn't play as well as they had previously.

"Hopefully, we had something to do with that."

In a game billed as a matchup of talented freshmen - North Carolina started three and Illinois two - Illini seniors Brian Cook and Sean Harrington made the difference.

Cook scored 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had five assists, while Harrington had a career-high 20 points, making 6-of-8 3-pointers, and came up with five steals.

"I guess if there is a zone, I was pretty close to it," Harrington said. "I felt comfortable. I had a lot of wide-open shots and once I got my feet set, I felt confident I could knock them down. It felt good leaving my hand."

Illinois (4-0) led 64-57 with 7:42 left and then took off.

"A lot of times, games come down to matchups and we didn't match up well," Doherty said.

Freshman Sean May led North Carolina with 21 points, Jawad Williams had 15 and freshman Rashad McCants, the MVP of the preseason NIT, added 13.

"We'll just use this as a learning experience," May said. "We'll put this game behind us. We're disappointed, but we face another great team on Saturday."

Illinois, with five freshmen on its roster, got a splendid game from first-year point guard Dee Brown, who scored 12 points and played stellar defense against North Carolina's Raymond Felton.

"They helped out tremendously and they cut off the passing lanes and made it tough for me and everyone," Felton said of the Illini defense that forced 19 turnovers and held Carolina to 36 percent second-half shooting.

The 6-foot-10 Cook was playing just his second game this season. He had to sit out the first two because he inadvertently participated in an unsanctioned summer tournament.

Now he's getting a good feel for all his new teammates.

"We were kind of jittery at beginning and once we settled down, I thought our freshmen responded well," Cook said.

"All of us didn't know what to expect in our first big game. We got to continue to get closer."