Heels roll to 12-0

CHAPEL HILL -- It started as a rumble, then escalated into a thunderous roar when Marcus Ginyard peeled off his warmup shirt and stepped onto the court Sunday night.

"Marcus Ginnyard! Marcus Ginyard!" shouted the Smith Center crowd, now on its feet welcoming back North Carolina's senior.

Having missed the first 11 games after suffering a bone fracture in his left foot, Ginyard logged 11 minutes as the No. 1-ranked Tar Heels rebuffed pesky Rutgers 97-75.

Was he the same Ginyard who won the team's Defensive Player of the Year award the last two years? No.

Was he vocally positioning teammates like he's also known for doing? Not as much.

But he was out there for brief spells in both halves for the Tar Heels, who recorded their 12th straight double-digit victory, a school-record streak.

Ginyard didn't have to carry a big load. Tyler Hansbrough (26 points, 10 rebounds), Ty Lawson (19 points, 6 assists, 0 turnovers) and Danny Green (18 points) did their usual heavy lifting.

But Ginyard needed to get back in the fray, get the feel of things, get his footing, so to speak. He can augment a Carolina defense that is sagging a little. He can provide leadership. He can do "all those little things,'' coach Roy Williams said.

"He's about 80 percent, but I wanted to get him a few minutes," Williams said. "It's going to take time to get him in game shape. [But] it was fun to have him out there."

On his first foray on the court, he rebounded an air ball for a basket, deflected a pass, and manned up on his opponent. In the second half, he got a quick steal and fed the flying Lawson for a fastbreak layup.

His numbers read: 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals. He also airballed a free throw, a sign of being winded.

"You get a little tired,'' Ginyard said. "[But] it was exciting to be on the court. I've got to get back to moving the same way, got to work to get up to game speed."

Before going in the game, Ginyard went to the tunnel and rode a stationary bike, like Dennis Rodman used to do. But biking isn't really his bag. He hopes he can soon bypass that activity before taking the floor.

Sitting for Ginyard -- who had surgery on Oct. 8 -- was tough. He was touched by the crowd response, saying "it's great to have fans [like that]." Teammates applauded as well.

"Marcus gives us a great threat, especially on the defensive end, where we need it,'' said Green. "He also tells guys where they need to be. He's vocal, good at talking to guys, a leader. It was good to see him move. He was doing okay."

Still, most of the night Ginyard watched as Hansbrough, Lawson, Green and the host of Tar Heels fought back a Scartlet Knights (9-4) team that offered more resistance than many expected.

Led by Mike Rosario's 26 points, Rutgers shot 47.5 percent against a UNC defense that gambled with traps and left some open spaces.

Yet the Tar Heels, who methodically built a 52-38 lead, maintained a double-digit spread throughtout the second half as Williams employed 10 players.

Nobody was as overwhelming as Hansbrough, who muscled around the basket and also stepped out to swish mid-ranger jumpers. Typical Tyler.

Lawson sped up and down the court with the zip and flair of, say, West Virginia quarterback Pat White. And Green -- who was shown doing a Jingle Bells duet on the scoreboard prior to the game with Deon Thompson -- went 8-for-11popping from long range and delivering a few dunks.

As expected the Tar Heels won the battle of the boards, gaining a 50-26 rebounding advantage. And they piled up points in transition, as usual. All that, along with Ginyard's first appearance of the season, generally kept the Tar Heel loyalists in a joyful holiday mood.