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Lawson leading North Carolina charge

Feb 18, 2009 - 11:27 AM North Carolina State (14-9) at No. 3 North Carolina (23-2) 8:00 p.m. EST

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Ty Lawson has helped North Carolina surge to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Lawson and the third-ranked Tar Heels go for their ninth straight win on Wednesday when they host North Carolina State.

Despite losing its first two ACC contests this season, North Carolina (23-2, 9-2 ACC) took a two-game lead atop the conference on Sunday with a 69-65 victory over Miami, coupled with losses by Duke and Clemson earlier in the day.

The junior guard Lawson scored 17 of his 21 points against Miami in the second half, sealing the victory with a 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds remaining. His performance helped the Tar Heels overcome an off-night for reigning player of the year and leading-scorer Tyler Hansbrough, who tied a season-low with eight points and added only four rebounds.

Lawson's outburst came four days after he poured in 21 of his 25 points after halftime, leading North Carolina to a 101-87 road victory against bitter rival Duke.

The team's second leading-scorer who is averaging 15.9 points per game, Lawson looks to continue his strong play against the Wolfpack (14-9, 4-6), who are coming off two straight wins - including an 86-65 victory over lowly Georgia Tech on Saturday.