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North Carolina
Old Dominion
North Carolina Runs Past Old Dominion, 99-82
November 24, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2007
Box Score |
AP Action Photos 
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Action Photos
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Ty Lawson scored a career-high 23 points, Tyler Hansbrough had 27 and top-ranked North Carolina advanced to the final of the Las Vegas Invitational with a 99-82 victory over Old Dominion on Friday night.
Wayne Ellington added 17 points for the Tar Heels (4-0), who pulled away with a strong second half to avoid the upset bug that claimed No. 6 Louisville two hours earlier at the Orleans Arena, ruining the perennial powers' hopes for a tantalizing early-season matchup.
Instead, North Carolina will face Brigham Young on Saturday night in the final of the eight-team event, while the Cardinals will take on the tenacious Monarchs (3-2), who challenged the Tar Heels early before fading down the stretch.
Lawson, North Carolina's standout sophomore point guard, scored 14 points in the second half, controlling play with his scoring and passing as the Tar Heels opened a stretch of six straight road games with a 56-point second half.
Brandon Johnson led Old Dominion with 16 points, but also made seven turnovers. Ben Finney scored 12 points and Abdi Lidonde added 11 for the Monarchs, who couldn't stop the Tar Heels from making 70 percent of their shots.
The Monarchs were backed by a small but frenzied group of fans that sensed an unpredictable vibe in the air after Louisville fell to BYU, while the Carolina faithful sat nervously as the teams traded the lead in the first half. North Carolina scored the final five points before halftime, including Danny Green's 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to put the Heels up 43-39.
But North Carolina jumped ahead with a 12-3 run early in the second half, and the Heels' lead didn't dip below double digits in the final 11 minutes, even after Old Dominion began to harass Hansbrough with two and three defenders on most possessions. North Carolina went 22-of-30 in the second half, hitting five 3-pointers -- including three by Ellington.
Hansbrough, who had six rebounds, broke free for a fast-break dunk with 9:56 to play, putting the Heels up 13. North Carolina's defense also shined, causing 18 turnovers after causing 55 by the Heels' previous two opponents.
The Tar Heels will play away from home until Dec. 19, with trips to Ohio State, Kentucky, Penn and Rutgers coming up after their holiday weekend in Las Vegas. It's the longest stretch away from Chapel Hill in coach Roy Williams' five seasons.
