• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

North Carolina needs win to keep pace in ACC

Feb 20, 2008 - 1:59 PM No. 3 North Carolina (24-2) at NC State (15-10) 7:00 pm EST

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) - North Carolina goes for its fourth consecutive win over in-state rival North Carolina State in a key Atlantic Coast Conference game on Wednesday.

The third-ranked Tar Heels (24-2, 9-2) trail first-place Duke by one game in the standings and are again expected to play without the services of sophomore guard Ty Lawson (13.6 points per game), who has missed the last four games with an ankle injury.

North Carolina is 10-0 in true road games and 12-0 away from Chapel Hill this season. Junior forward Tyler Hansbrough averages 22.8 points and 10.6 rebounds for the Tar Heels, who have won their last three games.

"I don't think you can look at them any differently, I really don't," N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe said. "If you do that, you set yourself up for failure. ... While we realize (Lawson) may not be playing, we still have to prepare the same way because we've seen them win ballgames."

The Wolfpack (15-10, 4-7) has dropped three straight, including a 71-64 decision to Clemson on Saturday. The Tigers scored the game's final nine points for the victory.

Freshman forward/center J.J. Hickson leads the Wolfpack at 15.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. North Carolina has won nine of the last 10 games in the series.