Hansbrough Finds Groove as Tar Heels Keep Rolling

It took Tyler Hansbrough nearly nine minutes to get his first basket
Saturday. Once he did, top-ranked North
Carolina started playing the
way it has all season.  Hansbrough finished with 25 points and the Tar
Heels shook off a sluggish start to beat Valparaiso, 85-63, at the United
Center. “I was just moving better,” Hansbrough said. “I wasn’t trying to force
it early. I kept moving and eventually I got to spots and got the ball and made
some shots.” Hansbrough, who became North
Carolina’s career scoring
leader Thursday night in a victory against Evansville, fueled runs at the end of
the first half and beginning of the second.

It was a relief, he said, to get the record — passing Phil Ford — behind him.
“There was a lot of pressure those last two games,” he said. “Everybody wanted
me to break it. It bothered me a little bit. I’m glad it’s behind me.” North
Carolina (11-0) has won all of
its games this season by double figures, tying a team record also held by the
1992-93 squad, which won the national championship.

Valparaiso (3-7) was facing the No. 1 team for the fifth straight season and
the seventh time in team history. The Crusaders are now 0-7 in those games.

“It’s the fifth year we have played the No. 1 team in the nation, and this is
probably the most dominant,” Valparaiso Coach Homer Drew said. “They’re
experienced, they got size inside. We doubled Hansbrough, and it didn’t seem to
affect him at all.” Urule Igbavboa, who had four fouls in the first half, and
Michael Rogers led Valparaiso with 16 points each.

Valparaiso lost to North
Carolina for the second straight season. Igbavboa, who helped hold
Hansbrough down early in the game, said Hansbrough was an even better player
because of his ability to step out and hit the perimeter shots.

“He expanded his game,” Igbavboa said. Hansbrough scored 8 straight points —
two free throws, a layup after a steal, a slam and a jumper — to get the Tar
Heels started on a 12-0 run late in the first half that built a 38-25 lead. They
were ahead by 41-31 at the half.

North Carolina then scored
the first 9 points of the second half to pull away. Hansbrough finished 9 for 13
from the field, scoring on a variety of shots, and moved into sixth place on the
Atlantic Coast Conference career scoring list. “He can really shoot the
basketball, and I think he showed that today,” North
Carolina Coach Roy Williams
said. “Tyler sets a great example for a lot of things that are good about the
game and the way the game is played.” One minute in the second half, Hansbrough
made a nice entry pass to Deon Thompson for a basket, then muscled his way for a
3-point play and a 15-point lead. Hansbrough followed that with a steal and a
soft jumper to put North Carolina
in control at 48-31. Hansbrough was knocked to the floor on a hard foul by
De’Andre Haskins with 3 minutes 32 seconds left. After making one of two free
throws, he left the game with his team ahead by 81-53.“It was a hard foul,”
Hansbrough said. “I’m used to it, but sometimes, it bothers me a little bit.”