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Ellington, Hansbrough spark North Carolina rout

Nov 21, 2007 - 5:54 AM CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Tyler Hansbrough scored 26 points and Wayne Ellington added 19 as No. 1 North Carolina destroyed South Carolina State, 110-64, on Tuesday.

After trailing, 8-4, less than four minutes in, Ellington scored five straight points to key a 9-0 stretch to help the Tar Heels take their first lead of the game.

The teams traded scores over the next minute before North Carolina pulled away after the 14:00 mark of the first half.

Ellington and Hansbrough combined for 15 of the points during a 17-2 run over the next five-plus minutes to help the Tar Heels build a 61-34 halftime advantage.

"I thought Wayne got us off to a great start early and I thought that 20 was his career high," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said. "I left him in there and he got a wide-open three and missed. I told him, 'I did my part.'

"Tyler was impressive getting the ball and from the free-throw line he was (almost) perfect. We are more gifted than South Carolina State is and we are supposed to win. I was pleased with our intensity."

The onslaught continued into the second half as the bulge grew to as large as 49 points with just over two minutes remaining.

Danny Green added 18 points for the Tar Heels, who have won their first three games of the season for the third straight season.

The Tar Heels ended the contest with 17 more free throw attempts and outrebounded the Bulldogs, 42-31.

Jason Johnson scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead South Carolina State (0-4).

"We are a very young basketball team from the standpoint of experience and my main focus was to see if we could play without getting overly rattled," Bulldogs coach Tim Carter said. "Most of our guys have never been in this type of environment before and I wanted to see if we could battle. I thought Jason Johnson really battled."