Still flying high from their headline-grabbing upset of Duke amidst the din of the Cameron Crazies, the University of Miami Hurricanes were eager to prove that their metamorphosis was complete.

Wednesday night on national TV was an opportune time for another milestone against a college basketball blueblood.

No. 8 North Carolina was paying a visit, bringing luggage bulging with all that Tar Heel tradition of excellence, plus a roster loaded with NBA prospects.

So UM set out to make some noise of its own. New coach, new verve, new muscle, new threat to the ACC hierarchy. No longer an afterthought.

It was beautiful while it lasted, watching Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji go elbow to elbow with Tyler Zeller and John Henson. Watching Durand Scott harass Kendall Marshall into an 0-for-6 shooting performance. Watching Trey McKinney Jones counter Harrison Barnes with his three-pointers.

But UM could not match the manpower nor poise of UNC down the stretch and lost 73-64. Scott played with furious urgency, but Malcolm Grant stayed cold and the rest of the Hurricanes could only manage six points in the last six minutes. Coach Jim Larranaga lamented a harried messiness, when UM committed six turnovers in seven possessions.

“Anytime you lose it’s a missed chance to take the next step,” said Johnson, a North Carolina native. “The crowd was good, but we came up short.”

The streak continues. UM is 2-18 against North Carolina. The first victory was a 2003 overtime upset in Coral Gables. But since joining the ACC in 2004, UM has been particularly unsuccessful against UNC. In fact, UNC is the only ACC team UM has not defeated at home. UM lost in Chapel Hill’s Dean Dome last month, 73-56.

But UNC coach Roy Williams was well aware of UM’s improvement.

“I explained to our team at halftime that when they left our place, they were 0-2 and we were 2-0. Since then, we’ve both gone 6-2,” Williams said.

There was a rare full house at BankUnited Center. The bouncing student section included Spider-Man, Gumby and somebody holding a giant cutout of UM president Donna Shalala’s face. They even got into a spirited exchange of insulting chants with the UNC fans.

The arena had the kind of energized atmosphere that Larranaga is trying to nurture. It was a glimpse of what college hoops could be in South Florida. The Miami Heat is magnificent, a team that inspires awe. But college ball taps the emotions with its wacky unpredictability.

UM took the lead early. Williams got so perplexed at one point that his face turned red as he screamed at a player and he had to take a knee to collect himself.

UM played a bruising game in the paint, with Johnson and Kadji using their bulk as leverage. UNC still scored a season-high 23 second-chance points.

“They just stay on the boards,” Johnson said. “That was a killer for us.”

Grant’s shooting woes continued. He made one of six field goals and is now 9 of 46 in his past six games.

“He shot two threes, missed them both and if he had made one it changes the game,” Larranaga said.

No one rose to the occasion.

“We were able to grit it out defensively,” Williams said.

UM (15-9, 6-5) blew its chance but has five games left to prove itself worthy of the NCAA Tournament. On Feb. 26, they play Florida State in a double-header with the women. It’s another shot to make some noise. A lot of noise from fans cranks the volume even higher.