Tyler Hansbrough and a deep roster have helped top-ranked North Carolina overcome injuries and illnesses that have thinned the Tar Heels’ rotation.
Hansbrough, a junior preseason All-America, had his seventh straight game with at least 20 points, getting 25 in North Carolina’s 90-61 rout of Kent State on Wednesday night.
Even with three key players missing the game, the Tar Heels (14-0) managed their fourth straight victory by at least 25 points.
“For this team, it says a lot for our depth, but we’ll be ready for them when we get back,” said Hansbrough, who was 11-for-11 at the free-throw line.
Reserve forward Alex Stepheson missed the game after returning home to California because of a family illness. That followed last week’s season-ending knee injury to backup point guard Bobby Frasor and an ankle injury to point guard Quentin Thomas that kept him out for two games.
Freshman swingman Will Graves and junior forward Mike Copeland had season highs in minutes Wednesday night and eight players logged at least 14 minutes.
“I feel like we’ve got six starters … but the seventh, eighth and ninth guys, we’ve lost them during the last couple of weeks,” Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said. “It’s been a little difficult, but that’s the reason you try to have more than five or six players.”
M 50; No. 20 Dayton 83, Akron 81 in double-overtime; No. 23 Rhode Island 94, Fairleigh Dickinson 63; and No. 25 Wisconsin 70, Michigan 54.
Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson both had 17 points for the Tar Heels (14-0), who extended their best start since opening with 17 victories a decade ago, and matched its longest winning streak under Williams – whose 2004-05 team won 14 straight on its way to the school’s last national championship.
“We keep on improving – that’s our mind-set,” Hansbrough said. “It’s basically our mental approach to every game. Is our intensity going to be there? Is our defense going to be there? I think if we play (how) we’re capable of, we’ll be fine.”
North Carolina, which shot 52.3 percent from the field, made 17 of 20 free throws and held the Golden Flashes to 3-for-18 shooting from 3-point range.
“I thought we did get some shots that we normally do make, and we missed them,” Kent State coach Jim Christian said. “That’s got to be a big part of the equation.”
Haminn Quaintance tied a career high with 20 points for Kent State (10-3), which had its seven-game winning streak snapped.
“They have a great ability to seize the game when they want to seize it, and impose their will on you,” Christian said.
It was the first meeting between the schools since North Carolina routed the Golden Flashes 92-59 in 1978.
No. 11 Indiana 79, Iowa 76
Freshman Eric Gordon scored 25 points and D.J. White had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Hoosiers (12-1), who won their eighth straight in the Big Ten opener for both teams and snapped a three-game losing streak at Iowa City.
Justin Johnson kept the Hawkeyes (7-7) in it until the end by hitting six 3-pointers in the final 1:56, the last a 40-foot bank shot that brought Iowa within 78-76 with 4.8 seconds left. Indiana’s Lance Stemler then made the first of two free throws and the Hoosiers stole the pass after Iowa rebounded the miss of the second.
Johnson, who was 8-of-13 from 3-point range, finished with 29 points.
No. 13 Pittsburgh 96, Lafayette 75
Keith Benjamin scored 20 points and Tyrell Biggs and Sam Young both had 19 to lead the Panthers (12-1), who bounced back from a 25-point loss at Dayton on Saturday. Pittsburgh is using almost seven players exclusively since the loss of starters Mike Cook and Levance Fields to injuries the last two games.
Matt Betley went 6-for-6 from 3-point range and had 20 points for the visiting Leopards (8-5), who had 17 3s, a record for a Pitt opponent.
No. 14 Texas 67, TCU 59
Damion James had a career-high 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Longhorns (12-2), who snapped a two-game losing streak despite not having shooting guard A.J. Abrams, who injured his left foot in practice Monday.
The game was also the season debut for freshman forward Gary Johnson, Texas’ top recruit who missed the first 13 games while doctors monitored an unspecified heart condition last summer. He started and had five points and five rebounds.
Henry Salter scored 19 points to lead the visiting Horned Frogs (8-5), who hit 12 3-pointers.
M 50
David Huertas scored 17 points and Mississippi (13-0) won its school-record 13th straight game, breaking the mark set in 1926. The Rebels opened the game with a 13-0 run and led by as many as 28 points in the first half.
LaNorris Smith led the visiting Bulldogs (3-7) with 12 points.
No. 20 Dayton 83, Akron 81, 2OT
Kurt Huelsman had 18 points and London Warren scored all six of his in the second overtime for the Flyers (12-1), who entered the Top 25 for the first time this season on Monday and extended their winning streak to 11 games.
With four seconds remaining in the second overtime, Warren hit a free throw to give Dayton an 82-79 lead.
Jeremiah Wood had 21 points for the visiting Zips (10-3), who had eight steals and seven blocked shots.
No. 23 Rhode Island 94, Fairleigh Dickinson 63
Jimmy Baron was 6-for-8 from 3-point range and scored 22 points to lead five players in double figures for the Rams (14-1), who extended their winning streak to nine games and remained unbeaten at home.
Manny Ubilla of Fairleigh Dickinson (4-7) set a Ryan Center record with a career-high 39 points, including going 8-of-15 from 3-point range.
No. 25 Wisconsin 70, Michigan 54
Reserve freshman Jon Leuer scored a career-high 25 points and Marcus Landry added 15 to give the visiting Badgers (11-2) their fifth straight win in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
Freshman Manny Harris had 16 points for the Wolverines (4-9), who have lost nine of 11 and are off to their worst start since 1981-82.
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