CHAPEL HILL — Well, that’s more like it.
Three days after losing its No. 1 ranking, its first game of the season and its chance to go undefeated, No. 3 North Carolina bounced back Wednesday with a 108-70 blowout of College of Charleston at the Smith Center.
The Tar Heels’ defense wasn’t seamless, what with the Cougars shooting 46.9 percent in the first half and one of UNC’s best stoppers, Marcus Ginyard, sitting on the bench for the entire game.
But Carolina shot much better from the field (59 percent) and the free throw line (19-for-22) — becoming the first opponent to score 100 or more points against the Cougars since 1977, a span of 951 games, and the second-longest streak in the nation.
Plus, there was no questioning the Tar Heels’ aggressiveness, something they believe cost them dearly during their loss to Boston College on Sunday night.
Considering Charleston led by as many as three points early, then kept its deficit within reason for most of the first half by burying eight three-pointers, it wasn’t exactly the early-game run-over UNC fans might have expected.
But Carolina (14-1), which made 59.5 percent of its shots in the first period, pulled away with an 8-2 run — including a Ty Lawson layup at the horn — to take a 53-41 lead into halftime.
Then it began the second period with an 11-0 run that the20Cougars (10-3) could never match.
Reserve point guard Larry Drew II’s layup with 3:51 left marked the first time since Dec. 6, 1977 that the Cougars allowed an opponent to score in triple digits.
It was not immediately clear why Ginyard — who returned last month after having foot surgery in October, played in the previous three games, but has been slow to return to 100 percent — was in uniform but did not play. The senior went through pre-games warms-ups, then sat on the bench wearing a sleeve on his right leg to protect a lingering knee bruise.
Forward Tyler Hansbrough led the team with 15 points and seven rebounds. Deon Thompson and Lawson chipped in 15 points apiece.
Another good sign was the play of starting shooting Wayne Ellington, who went 3-for-5 for 10 points.
The junior sharpshooter had made only 29 of his 79 shot attempts in seven previous home game this season, a perplexing stat considering he has shot 36-for-69 on the road this season.
Staff photo by Robert Willett
Robbi Pickeral has covered ACC sports for The News & Observer since 2003. She can be reached at 
