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Hansbrough looking forward to matchup with Georgia Tech

Jan 20, 2007 - 4:44 PM Georgia Tech (13-4) at No. 4 North Carolina (16-2) 9:00 pm EST

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Tyler Hansbrough must be looking forward to playing against Georgia Tech as fourth-ranked North Carolina seeks to continue its home-court dominance when the Atlantic Coast Conference rivals meet Saturday.

Although the Yellow Jackets have won three of the last five meetings and five of the last nine, the Tar Heels have won 10 straight at home dating to February 10, 1996.

In the only meeting between the schools last season, Hansbrough scored an ACC freshman-record 40 points as North Carolina overcame a 20-point deficit to beat Georgia Tech, 82-75, at Chapel Hill.

After winning 13 straight games and vaulting to the top spot in the rankings, North Carolina (16-2, 3-1 ACC) dropped a stunning 94-88 decision to Virginia Tech last Saturday in a game not nearly as close as the final score indicates.

The Tar Heels rebounded from the loss to the Hokies with a 77-55 triumph at No. 19 Clemson on Wednesday.

The Tar Heels overcame 22 turnovers by shooting better than 50 percent from the floor in each half and limited the Tigers to 34 percent overall. Brandan Wright scored 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting and Hansbrough added 16 points and seven rebounds for North Carolina.

Georgia Tech (13-4, 2-2) has won two straight and seven of eight but has not won here since February 10, 1996 and has lost its last 14 games - 11 to ACC schools - on opponents' home courts dating to February 26, 2005.

After knocking off Duke, 74-63, on January 10, Georgia Tech posted an 88-80 victory over Florida State last Saturday.

Senior Mario West scored a career-high 18 points and Anthony Morrow added 17 in the victory against the Seminoles. West, who only scored in double figures once against an ACC team, went 4-of-6 from the floor and 9-of-13 from the line. In the last two games, Morrow has shot 9-of-15, including 6-of-8 on 3-pointers, and 12-of-13 from the line.

North Carolina leads the all-time series, 57-19, and has won 12 of the last 17.