Hansbrough returns as Heels win

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The wait is over.

Tyler Hansbrough, the reigning national college basketball player of the year, made his 2008-09 debut Friday night as top-ranked North Carolina defeated UC Santa Barbara 84-67.

Hansbrough, who scored 13 points, missed the first two games of the season while nursing a stress reaction in his right shin.

Ty Lawson led six players in double figures with 19 points for the Tar Heels (3-0).

UNC coach Roy Williams said on Thursday that he would make a decision on playing Hansbrough during the team shootaround Friday.

Hansbrough's first touch of the basketball came at the 19:23 mark of the first half. He passed inside to Danny Green, who fumbled the ball, but recovered and scored the first basket of the game.

Hansbrough attempted his first shot at 18:46 and drew a foul. Hansbrough made his first free throw and canned the second for a 4-0 UNC lead.

Hansbrough had played in all 108 games in his first three years for Carolina before missing the first two this season. He finished with seven rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot.

Wayne Ellington added 17 points, Deon Thompson 12 points and 10 rebounds, Danny Green 11 and Ed Davis 10 for the Tar Heels, who controlled the boards, 34-24.

James Nunnally scored a career-high 19 points off the bench for the Gauchos (1-2), who fell to 0-3 against Carolina.

The 6,000-seat Thunderdome was filled to the rafters. It was the first time a No. 1 team had played in Santa Barbara since UNLV back in 1991.

Tickets for the game were going for $300 on Craigslist.com.

(The Associated Press contributed to the report.)