Dec 19, 2006, 16:00 GMT
Chapel Hill, NC - In what appears to be a huge mismatch, the second-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels welcome the Florida Atlantic Owls to Chapel Hill.
Florida Atlantic began the season with four consecutive losses, all of which came by double figures. Fortunately, the Owls have turned things around dramatically, as they have won four of their last five. The most recent contest for the squad occurred last Wednesday and resulted in a 91-87 decision over Troy to open Sun Belt Conference play.
North Carolina is 8-1 and has posted five consecutive wins since its only loss to date, an eight-point setback to an outstanding Gonzaga squad. The Tar Heels rolled to a 93-62 decision over UNC-Asheville on Saturday, and while that opponent was rather weak, they have knocked off the likes of Tennessee, Ohio State and Kentucky. North Carolina is 5-0 at home and has scored at least 93 points in six of the nine outings.
This game marks the first-ever meeting between Florida Atlantic and North Carolina on the hardwood.
Florida Atlantic is scoring a modest 69.8 ppg while surrendering 75.0 ppg to the opposition. The leading scorer for the Owls is Paul Graham, as he is netting 16.6 ppg on 49.1 percent shooting from the floor, including 48.6 percent from three-point range. Carlos Monroe is close behind with his 15.7 ppg, and Derrick Simmons checks in with 10.3 ppg. In the four- point win over Troy last time out, Simmons came through with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Monroe tallied 20 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Paul Graham posted 16 points off the bench. The Trojans hit 53.8 percent of their shots from the floor and earned a 14-7 edge in points from the foul line. They also racked up 28 assists, helping to overshadow a rather high total of 17 turnovers.
As mentioned, North Carolina has been able to post huge offensive number thus far. The team is averaging 90.4 ppg on 50.7 percent shooting from the floor, and it is holding opponents to 72.1 ppg. The Heels have been strong on the boards, as they are pulling down 11.7 rpg more than their foes. Tyler Hansbrough, the club's supremely talented big man, is tops on the roster with 18.9 ppg on 53.7 percent shooting from the field, and he is averaging 8.1 rpg as well. Brandan Wright and Wayne Ellington are a pair of sensational freshmen, and they are scoring 15.8 ppg and 13.2 ppg, respectively. The fourth and final double-digit scorer is Reyshawn Terry with 10.0 ppg. Wright led the charge in the romp over UNC-Asheville with 21 points, while Hansbrough and Ellington pitched in 15 points apiece. As for Reyshawn Terry, he contributed 13 points. The Tar Heels earned a 50-34 rebounding advantage in the contest, including a 19-10 edge on the offensive boards.
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