USA - Hansbrough leads UNC past Oden-less Buckeyes

CHAPEL HILL (NCAA) - Ohio State missed the presence of star recruit Greg Oden on Wednesday as Tyler Hansbrough and North Carolina beat the previously undefeated and number one ranked Buckeyes, 98-89.

Oden, a 7ft freshman center who is considered a future NBA number one pick, is likely out of action until January following off-season wrist surgery, and his absence was telling as Hansbrough scored 21 points and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds.

"They got a big-time team, and when Greg Oden gets back and playing for them, they're going to be a heck of a team," said North Carolina coach Roy Williams.

Williams, whose Tar Heels are ranked sixth, also has a heck of a team.

Hansbrough was voted the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year last season.

This contest would have been a battle between first and second ranked teams had North Carolina not lost to Gonzaga in the NIT.

Despite there being eight freshmen on the court, Williams said it was quite a spectacle.

"Even as a coach, you sit over there and marvel at the level that the kids are playing at offensively," he said.

The Buckeyes knocked down a string of three-pointers to lead 33-23 with seven and a half minutes to the break.

Ivan Harris, who finished with 17 points, went five of eight from the arc and Ohio State shot 50% (13 of 26) on three-pointers.

Closing within 48-44 at half-time, North Carolina carried over that momentum to the second half, with Hansbrough scoring 14 points and freshman Wayne Ellington adding 16 of his 19.

Carolina out-rebounded the Buckeyes 41-27.

Ron Lewis had 30 points and freshman Daequan Cook added 14 for Ohio State, who dropped to 2-8 all-time against North Carolina.

Although the Buckeyes' freshman class has received the majority of the press so far this season due to Oden, the Tar Heels showed that their first-year players might be just as good.

Along with the play of Ellington, point guard Ty Lawson scored 13 points and handed out five assists without a turnover and Brandan Wright added 11 points and five rebounds.

Number 23 Georgetown were the only other ranked team to lose on Wednesday, as they went down 57-50 to Oregon with Bryce Taylor scoring nine of his 13 points in the second half for the Ducks.

Third-ranked Pittsburgh beat Robert Morris 67-53 behind 21 points and 15 rebounds from Aaron Gray, while freshman Quincy Pondexter scored 17 of his season-high 25 points in the second half as number 11 Washington beat Idaho 87-66.

Twelfth-ranked LSU bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a 91-57 rout of McNeese State as Glen Davis scored 15 points, while four Connecticut players got into double figures as the number 15 Huskies remained unbeaten with an 89-46 defeat of Sacred Heart.

Seventeenth-ranked Memphis beat Arkansas State 86-60, number 18 Butler beat Valparaiso 60-47, 20th-ranked Nevada beat UL Lafayette 86-74 and No 22 Wichita State routed UMKC 85-55.

PA Sport