Men's College Basketball News

Tar Heels breeze past UNC-Asheville

Dec 16, 2006, 22:00 GMT

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