N. Carolina rolls to 12th straight win

Posted December 27, 2007 10:00 pm

Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Tyler Hansbrough scored 26 points and Wayne Ellington added a career-high 23 to help No. 1 North Carolina beat Nevada 106-70 on Thursday night.

Ty Lawson had 16 points and a career-best 10 assists for the Tar Heels (12-0), who ran off 19 straight points spanning halftime to earn the latest in a series of lopsided victories.

North Carolina is off to its best start since winning 17 straight to open the 1997-98 season. And since a tough 72-68 win against Davidson to open the season, the Tar Heels' closest game was an 86-77 win at Kentucky on Dec. 1. They have also scored at least 100 points in five games.

Armon Johnson scored 23 points to lead the Wolf Pack (7-5), which had won five straight games and hung close with the Tar Heels until late in the first half. But that was before Lawson, a speedy sophomore, kicked North Carolina's offense into high gear.