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No. 1 UNC rolls in Hansbrough's season debut

Last season's player of the year returns from injury in win over UCSB

NCarolina UC Santa Barbara BasketballNCarolina UC Santa Barbara BasketballAP
After Friday's 84-67 win over UC Santa Barbara, North Carolina coach Roy Williams takes his top-ranked team to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational.

Carolina’s talent and speed eventually wore down Santa Barbara.

“Coach told us to come out and run plays,” Lawson said. “We were missing some shots. We’re probably 70 percent of where we can be.”

Hansbrough’s return came just in time for Carolina, which plays four straight road games before returning home on Nov. 30.

“It meant a lot,” Lawson said about having Hansbrough back. “Guarding the post and rebounding and scoring, he does everything.”

Freshman 7-footer Tyler Zeller is likely out for the rest of the season with a broken left wrist he suffered late in Tuesday’s win against Kentucky. Zeller started the first two games in place of Hansbrough. Top defender Marcus Ginyard is out until December after having foot surgery.

After the game, the Tar Heels headed to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational, where they’ll play Chaminade on Monday.

Roy Williams said he didn’t know if he would play Hansbrough three days in a row in the tournament.

“He turned it over a couple of times. It’s going to take him a little while. He’s human,” the coach said.

Santa Barbara’s rabid students were warned by the public address announcer before tip-off to keep their chants clean. They shouted expletives at Hansbrough as he warmed up and then did so again during a timeout in the second half. One of the referees heard them and yelled, ’No,” at the students, who quieted down.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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