CHARLOTTE - Tyler Hansbrough couldn't find the basket. Ty Lawson couldn't get in the lane. North Carolina couldn't find its offensive rhythm.

The Tar Heels needed a shooter, somebody with sharp aim in his game, a player who could pry open Washington State's "Pack" man-to-man defense.

Based on recent performances, Danny Green didn't look like the guy.

But then he scored on a follow shot, drained a 3-point basket, got another bucket on a floater. Suddenly, it had all come back to Carolina's talented sixth man.

"I think making one basket got me going, then playing good defense to get the butterflies out," Green said after Thursday's 68-47 East Regional victory. "Once that happened, things started going my way."

Brimming with confidence, he scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half, helping Carolina build a 35-21 lead at the break. That offensive surge was needed more than usual because Hansbrough scored only two of his 18 points during the first 20 minutes and Lawson collected only six of his 12.

"Danny came in and gave us a big lift when we were having trouble scoring against their defense,'' said coach Roy Williams, also cognizant that Green "had not been shooting well recently."

In the previous five games, Green had gone 13-for-35 from the floor -- 5-for-18 on 3-point attempts -- and scored in double figures just once. He didn't panic. He didn't press.

"You have games you have slumps; it happens,'' he said nonchalantly. "It doesn't mean you hang your head and stop shooting. Shooters are going to shoot."

Against the Cougars, he wound up going 6-for-10 from the floor, and he buried three of his five attempts behind the arc. But that's not all. Green's game resonates with all-around flair.

He also grabbed five rebounds, blocked a shot and came up with three steals, one that led to a transition basket in the first half. What the stats sheet didn't measure was the overall energy he brought in 23 minutes of court time.

Washington State's more deliberate tempo didn't deter him. Slow or fast. Green can dance to either beat.

"Dancers dance and shooters shoot,'' he cracked. "They were doubling our bigs, Deon [Thompson] and Tyler. They did a great job finding us crosscourt. Luckily, they found me, and I knocked down some shots."

That the Tar Heels were able to build a substantial lead with Hansbrough a non-factor in the first half tells a lot about the Tar Heels' overall prowess, Green said.

Also, for the run-and-shoot Heels to adapt to a different style of play demonstrated that they are flexible as well as formidable, a key ingredient at NCAA Tournament time.

"We have a half-court offense and defense as well," said Green, who helped fuel a strong team defensive effort. "We tried to run when we could and got some easy baskets. I felt we did our thing, staying focused, staying poised. Our thing is to win games."

And Thursday night, Green ignited the spark that helped Carolina knock Washington State on its heels and put UNC on the winning way.