Recap: North Carolina vs. Kentucky
Sports Network | November 18, 2008
Chapel Hill, NC (Sports Network) - Deon Thompson had his way in the post while logging 20 points and nine rebounds in top-ranked North Carolina's 77-58 drubbing of a rebuilding Kentucky Wildcats club in a game featuring college basketball's two winningest programs.
Wayne Ellington notched 16 points and Ed Davis added nine points and 10 boards for North Carolina (2-0), which upended a scrappy Penn squad in its season opener on Saturday. Ty Lawson shot just 3-of-15 from the floor but finished with nine assists and 11 points for the Tar Heels, who once again won by double-digits despite playing without senior forward Tyler Hansbrough.
Patrick Patterson hit 8-of-11 from the field and notched 19 points and 11 rebounds for Kentucky (0-2), which surprisingly dropped its season opener to VMI last Friday. Jodie Meeks also scored 19 points but made 5-of-20 from the field, and Ramon Harris -- 15 points -- was the only other Wildcat with more than three points.
After trading buckets to start the game, Thompson scored six straight points and Danny Green nailed a three-pointer for an 11-2 UNC lead four minutes into the contest.
Two more field goals from the hosts made it a 13-point game and the Wildcats looked overmatched very early. Sloppy play led to 17 first-half turnovers for UK and the Heels took advantage.
After a steal by Green, Ellington threw down an alley-oop dunk and Carolina led 25-6 with 11 1/2 minutes to play in the first half.
The Tar Heels jumped ahead 41-25 at the break, and though their lead never fell into single digits, they failed to completely break the game open in the second half.
Patterson's one-handed leaner in the lane made it 64-51 with 6 1/2 minutes left, but the Wildcats couldn't protect the rim in the closing minutes. Lawson got to the line for a pair of free throws and Thompson came down with an offensive putback on two of three possessions to end any threat of a comeback.
Hansbrough has missed three weeks of action due to a stress reaction in his right shin and his return to the court has yet to be determined...UNC heads to UC Santa Barbara for a Friday night tilt, while Kentucky looks to rebound against Delaware State on Saturday...Carolina's Tyler Zeller left the court late in the game with an injured wrist after he fell going up for a dunk...UK leads in the all-time win column (1,966 - 1,952) but have dropped five straight to the Tar Heels...Carolina's bench outscored the UK bench, 22-0.
