Chapel Hill, NC - Brandan Wright continued to benefit from
the attention to Tyler Hansbrough, scoring 21 points with nine rebounds as
third-ranked North Carolina took a break from final exams to down UNC-
Asheville, 93-62, at the Dean Smith Center.
Speaking of Hansbrough, the All-American added 15 points and seven rebounds
while Wayne Ellington also donated 15 points. Reyshawn Terry contributed 13
points for the Tar Heels (8-1), who stepped into competitive action for the
first time since December 9 against High Point, when head coach Roy Williams
won his 500th game.
Bryan Smithson led the Bulldogs (4-6) with 20 points while James Vincent and
K.J. Garland donated 11 points apiece. UNC-Asheville dropped to 0-44 against
current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
After a slow start, North Carolina ripped off a 22-1 run to take complete
control of the contest. Hansbrough started the stretch with a three-point play
and Wright tallied seven consecutive points. Another inside bucket from Wright
made the score 27-8 with 10:19 left.
The Bulldogs kept their composure throughout the remainder of the half,
trimming the deficit to 53-39 on a pair of Garland free throws with eight
seconds left.
North Carolina restored order with seven points in a row to begin the second
half. Hansbrough's bucket off the glass staked the Tar Heels to a 63-39 edge.
The lead grew to 87-56 on a Hansbrough's three-point play with 4:59 on the
clock.
The Tar Heels cruised to victory from there.
Game Notes
North Carolina has won all four meetings in the series.
The Tar Heels posted
an 89-47 victory last year.
North Carolina shot 50 percent from the floor to
37 percent for the Bulldogs.
The Tar Heels also controlled the boards, 47-28.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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