Among the elite
Slideshow: UNC advances through the Sweet 16 Also read "UNC hitting its stride at right time" CHARLOTTE - Tyler Hansbrough hit his first field goal Thursday after barely two minutes of play - in the second half.
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Slideshow: UNC advances through the Sweet 16 Also read "UNC hitting its stride at right time" CHARLOTTE - Tyler Hansbrough hit his first field goal Thursday after barely two minutes of play - in the second half.
The road through conference play so far certainly has been a little rocky for the No. 5 Tar Heels. Before Wednesday night's 16-point victory in Coral Gables, three out of the team's four ACC matchups were decided by two points or less. Thankful to be 4-1 in the conference right now, North Carolina has managed to tip-toe its way out of a few tight situations with the help of some late-game heroics. But these last minute antics might not have been necessary if UNC could have capitalized on the offensive end down the stretch.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The first half of Wednesday night's game between North Carolina and Miami went just as planned - for the Hurricanes. Another pesky ACC adversary, Miami forced the No. 5 Tar Heels to take tough shots and made them pay down low on the defensive end. But then speed specialist Ty Lawson took off down the right side of the court after a Brian Asbury missed 3-pointer. The sophomore point guard completed the fastbreak sinking a floater while falling out of bounds and drawing a foul with just about a second left in the half. And with that, he sent a message to UM that UNC (19-1, 4-1 in the ACC) really was all it's cracked up to be. Lawson, who was 5-for-9 from the field in the opening period, drained the ensuing free throw and sent the Hurricanes to the locker room down seven. But if Miami (14-4, 1-3) was looking to turn things around in the second half, it just wasn't going to happen as the Tar Heels took over and claimed the victory 98-82. "I think we needed this one," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "I think we needed to play well on the road, and fortunately I really thought we did." After Saturday's two-point loss to Maryland at home that halted an 18-game winning streak, North Carolina needed a win to get back on its feet - and avoid losing its second game in a row - after already losing its previously held No. 1 ranking. "I was really pleased with our guys mentally, bouncing back after the Maryland game," Williams said. "We had two really good days of practice, and I think it showed the way we played out there today." If scrappy play and tough breaks characterized the first 20 minutes, then the next half would be no different. The Tar Heels came out firing with an energy that seemed to be somewhat intermittent throughout the first half. They appeared to be more focused on defense and were able to convert Miami turnovers into easy baskets while not allowing the Hurricanes the same option - the Tar Heels committed a season-low seven turnovers in the game. And although Miami's Lance Hurdle and Raymond Hicks combined for 37 points on the night, it was no match for Tyler Hansbrough's game-high 35 points - 27 of which came in the second half. "I feel like things were just falling my way, and my teammates got me some open shots," Hansbrough said. "Ty with his penetration did a lot of things for me, and I feel like we moved the ball a little bit better tonight." And move the ball is exactly what Lawson did. He finished the game with a double-double consisting of 23 points and 10 assists, while only having one turnover. "I was going to the basket and trying to score in the first half," Lawson said. "But in the second half, I was just trying to get everyone involved." The game commemorated the Hurricanes' five-year anniversary of playing in BankUnited Center, and it was just what North Carolina should have expected - another super-charged battle on the road. But unlike too-close-for-comfort wins at Georgia Tech and Clemson, the Tar Heels were able to put together a strong showing and pick up another conference win before going on an eight-day hiatus. "I'm glad we finished it with a win," Hansbrough said. "For us to finish a game out shows that playing against legit teams, we can put them away if we do things right." Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
View the slideshow Throughout Wednesday's game, Tyler Hansbrough stood at the top of the key and was met with an unfamiliar sight - someone taller than him. Ten inches taller than him, to be exact.