I have one warning about a live blog. I am usually intensely into a game of this nature which involves outward acts of destruction on unsuspecting inanimate objects so just know that this live blog could be halted if the game gets to a point where I am unable to form coherent thoughts using the keyboard. This game should be a good one, so away we go after the jump.
9:02 PM Okay, here we are...sorta. We are waiting for Boston College to get done with Michigan State and they are trying their best to give it away here at the end.
9:05 PM Tip in Chapel Hill has been set for 9:10 now.
9:06 PM It looks like BC will hold on and Virginia Tech is up eight on Iowa with a minute left. Wins in those two games would give ACC the win...again. Virginia is in a tussle with Purdue.
9:10 PM Game time....And it looks like my hope that Dick Vitale's voice would go out after last night did not happen
9:11 PM Ty Lawson is starting. Frasor has a foot injury which I was not aware of. This is a chance for Lawson to shine.
9:12 PM OSU up 4-0 early.
9:13 PM Okay they have shown Greg Oden for almost a minue while he was sitting on the bench...and we are talking to sideline report about him now. ESPN hearts Oden.
9:14 PM Hansbrough's first touch and he just misses the basket but will go to the line.
9:15 PM UNC needs to keep the Buckeye three point shooting in check and OSU just picked up their third foul in two minutes. Ellington witha sweet jumper to make it 7-4.
9:16 PM Let's see what we have so far. Matador defense on the OSU guards and really no offense. OSU up 12-4.
9:18 PM Big shot for Lawson to cut it back to 12-9. Nice open look on the wing but OSU answers from about 22 feet out. Another turnover from UNC not running the offense.
9:19 PM First TV timeout. First of all the pace is frantic and UNC still looks sloppy. Secondly the OSU guards are driving the lane and then dishing for threes or getting all the way to the hoop and scoring. It will be a long night unless UNC decides to man up and play some defense.
9:20 PM Also, I do not know the names of the OSU players but will try and cross check with the ESPN Gamecast when possible. If not I will just refer to OSU in general.
9:22 PM VT won, ACC is now up 6-2 and wins the Challenge for the eighth straight year.
9:23 PM Nice offensive execution to fine Wes Miller for three. 16-12 OSU. Lawson takes the ball all the way down and gets fouled. Misses first free throw.....makes the second. 16-13 OSU leads.
9:25 PM Frasor is playing and UNC CANNOT STOP THE FREAKING THREE!!!! Deon Thompson scores on the other end to make it 22-15.
9:26 PM Wow. Deon Thompson has shown up tonight. He has four points after the goal tend. 22-19 OSU. 26-21 because UNC cannot stop the penetration.
9:28 PM. First of all the announcer, who I do not recognize just called Alex Stepheson, "Stephenson" illustrating once more that ESPN announcers are incapable of doing research for a game. Secondly, OSU only has 8 healthy scholarship players so the pace might catch up with them in the second half. Midway through the first and OSU is up 26-21.
9:31 PM Stepheson makes to FTs to make it 26-23. A stop here and a basket could turn the tide a bit.
9:32 PM OSU cannot miss a three point and they are making them from 22 feet out. Everytime UNC gets within 2 or 3 OSU makes a three and the UNC misses on the other end giving OSU the ball back. OSU finally turned the ball over with an offensive foul.
9:34 PM UNC misses a couple of chances to cut the six point lead.
9:35 PM This is a typical sequence for tonight: UNC-Misses shots and OSU capitalizes.
9:36 PM Vitale is questioning whether OSU can keep up with the pace on the road. I would tend to agree, shooting like that usually does not continue for the whole game. OSU ahead 31-23.
9:37 PM OSU throws a wild shot up near the end of the shot clock and it goes in to give OSU a ten point lead at 33-23. UNC is not hitting the shots they need to hit and OSU cannot miss or gets fouled. Fortunately they suck at FT shooting. TV Timeout.
9:39 PM Early stats. OSU is shooting 56% from the floor and 55% from three. UNC is only shooting 42%.
9:40 PM Lawson on the line for two shots...hits one....hits the second....33-25 OSU.
9:41 PM OSU has settled into a more deliberate offense and still is able to drive the lane to the basket for a layup. For the love of everything Carolina blue would someone shut off the dribble penetration!
9:42 PM OSU could see some foul trouble which is not good for them with their lack of depth.
9:43 PM Lawson comes down, dishes to Ellington who misses the three and Ginyard follows to cut it seven. Crowd picks up on he steal by UNC and now Ginyard is going to the line for two shots. Tewilliger thought he got all ball.
9:45 PM A pair of free throws makes it a five point game.
9:46 PM Seven point lead for OSU. Frasor for three!!!! Cuts it to four.
9:47 PM OSU answers for three and Frasor answers back. 40-36 OSU.
Steal and outlet to Hansbrough for the BIG DUNK!!!! Crowd is electric. The OSU lead is down to two. Thad Matta wants a timeout.
9:49 PM OSU has three key players with two fouls. That could be big in the second half.
9:50 PM Let's count the number of times we show Greg Oden tonight for longer than 30 seconds. The count is now two.
Another freaking OSU three pointer followed by a UNC miss. This is the pattern tonight. Offensive foul, OSU and a Duke reference out of the blue from Dick Vitale. Colored me shocked.
9:51 PM OSU 43 UNC 38 at the final TV timeout of the half. UNC will have the ball out of the timeout and needs to score to keep this close heading towards halftime. As bad as UNC has shot and as red hot as OSU has been, if UNC stays close it will say something.
The ACC is up 6-3 and since the Big 10 has never won I say we find another conference to play.
9:53 PM OSU is in a zone to protect the foul situation. Ginyard scores on a backdoor and it is 43-40. Correction...UNC takes the jump ball and turns it over on an offesive foul.
9:55 PM Danny Green down the baseline for the slam. UNC within one with 2 minutes to go and ANOTHER FREAKING &*$(&@*( THREE POINTER FROM OSU!!!! Ahem...Sorry.
How was there no foul on Hansbrough...come on!!
9:56 PM Okay this is total crap! Not only did Hansbrough get hacked by three players but on the next play down he was knocked down out of bounds with no call. OSU gets an alley oop dunk to go back up six points with a minute left.
9:58 PM Deon Thompson with a put back and Brandan Wright has not been in the game since about three or four minutes in.
9:59 PM One second left with OSU having the ball at their own end. There is some issue with if they get more time. The refs were ready to play and Thad Matta is screaming for one more second. Shot clock violation? Very odd.
10:01 PM That last play was bizzare. Thompson blocked the ball out of bounds with one second left. There was a debate whether they need one more second. OSU inbounded and after four tenths of a second ran off, the whistled a shot clock violation. UNC threw it down court and time expired.
OSU 48 UNC 44 at the half
10:03 PM OSU is going to have two issues in the second half. The first is foul trouble. They only have eight players available. Four of those players have two fouls. Secondly, the pace has been frantic and if OSU gets winded it will lead to more fouls because their legs will start to go. OSU is shredding UNC with it's shooting hitting eight threes out of 13 and 54% overall because they keep getting to the hoop on penetration. UNC on the other hand is shooting a paltry 42% and hit 4 out of 10 threes. UNC is shooting free throws at a 70% clip. Brandan Wright picked up two fouls early and sat most of the half and when I say most I think he might have played only three minutes. Deon Thompson had six points and a blocked shot. Lawson, Frasor, and Ginyard also had six points. Hansbrough leads the Heels with seven.
The key thing here is as bad as UNC is shooting and as hot as OSU has been it is still only a four point game. The pace and the crowd favor the Heels so I think UNC should really put the screws on in the second half.
10:09 Virginia lost their first game of the season to Purdue. ACC leads 6-3. Clemson is up five on Minnesota and in a non-Challenge game Wake Forest is getting throttled by Air Force late in the first half.
10:17 PM 2nd half ready to go.
10:18 PM Dunk from Hansbrough off the Wright pass to cut it to two.
10:19 PM What a block from Hansbrough! Tyler on the other end ties the game at 48.
10:20 Terry with the putback UNC leads 50-48. Timeout Ohio State!
A lot of energy from Terry and Wright who were back in the game. Hansbrough was Hansbrough and UNC rattled off six straight. OSU looked tenative willing to run a long half court set probably because the pace was getting to be too much. I would look to see if that three point shooting continues. Something about halftime cools teams off, let's see if that is true here.
10:23 PM Very aggressive defense right now. Terry takes a charge and is slow to get up.
10:24 PM Terry got the breath knocked out of him. He is on the bench. UNC ball...Ellington misses the three...OSU misses their second three and we have a jump ball, goes to UNC.
10:25 PM Lawson has incredible court vision, he passed the ball across to where he thought Ellington would be. Ellington hits the three and OSU answers with a layup. Lawson fouled on the drive. UNC up 53-50
10:26 PM Gred Oden count: 3
10:27 PM Ellington for three again after the two Lawson FT misses. UNC up six.
10:28 Lewis for OSU hits a fall away three. Cannot complain about the defense there. UNC up 56-53 at the first TV timeout of the second half. Butch Davis coming up next.
10:29 PM I just know Butch is so looking forward to sitting next to Dick Vitale. I wonder if he will try and sit in his lap like he did Dean Smith in Kansas City.
10:30 PM Well first of all Doris there were no other jobs open other than Michigan State. And now Davis is doing his Amato impersonation talking about national titles in football.
10:31 PM UNC did a great job with FTs in the first half and now in the second they cannot buy one, four misses from Lawson. OSU cuts it back to one.
10:32 PM A little lull for UNC. Hansbrough is also on the bench too.
Ginyard steals the ball and probably should avoid bringing it up since he just threw it away.
10:33 PM Another OSU three to take a two point lead...Wright answers to tie it at 58.
Another freaking OSU three. 11-18 from three which is utterly ridiculous.
And another three from Harris. How about guarding him. OSU back up four after the Wright hook. Another drive and layup. OSU up six.
10:35 PM Wright hits another nice hook. UNC just gave up another completely wide open look from three but Connoly missed it. Terry fouled on the missed shot at the other end. TV timeout.
10:36 PM First of all I do not understand why OSU is so hot from outside. Secondly, UNC came out very aggresive and now has let up again allowing OSU to seize control again.
10:38 PM OSU up 66-62 with 11+ minutes left in the game. Terry shooting free throws...makes the first....missed the second.
10:40 PM OSU up five on the tip in. Hansbrough scores with the whole OSU team on him. 68-65 OSU.
10:41 PM Three OSU players with three fouls.
10:42 PM Incredible reverse layup from Lawson to cut it to one. OSU misses and Ellington turns it over. This is incredible.
10:44 PM Lawson is starting to get it. Drives the lane and dishes to Hansbrough for the basket and the foul....makes the FT, UNC up two now, 70-68.
10:45 PM Big shot from Ellington to make the lead four.
TV Timeout, less than eight to go.
10:46 PM OSU has cooled shooting the ball and UNC has heated up.
10:48 PM Lawson has committed zero turnovers.
10:49 PM Terry for three! Harris answers with a two. UNC up five. Ellington makes it an eight point game.
10:50 PM Hansbrough makes it a 10 point game as OSU has finally gone cold. Thad Matta wants to talks about it with a 30 second timeout. UNC with a 13-4 run.
10:51 PM OSU drives...again and cuts it to eight. UNC misses a long probably ill advised three. Steal from Ellington and he goes uncontested for the layup. He wanted to dunk it but he missed a step. Matta has called another timeout with five minutes to go and is upset about something.
10:52 PM Oden count: 4
10:54 PM Lawson dribbles left and as the shot clock expires hits a leaning two pointer. UNC by 12. The shooting drought I thought might come for OSU has finally hit.
10:55 PM Two FTs for OSU. UNC misses a shot and OSU gets back with a two on one to cut it to eight. Terry then comes down and takes leave of his sense by taking a three with no one under the basket and misses. OSU would have scored again but Lawson broke it up, stole it, but step out of bounds.
10:57 PM Ellington told someone that since it was his 19th birthday he would score 19 points. He has 15 right now with less than four minutes to go. OSU cuts it to six. UNC needs to finish this game now.
10:58 PM Wright makes the first FT....makes the second for an eight point lead.
10:59 PM A long two for OSU. UNC runs the clock down, cannot score but gets the ball back off OSU out of bounds. They really need to score here and not give OSU a chance to get within six.
11:00 PM Lawson feeds Wright for a monster dunk but OSU hits a three...again...to cut it to five.
11:01 PM Lawson hits the first FT and the second to make it a seven point lead. 1:30 to go.
11:02 PM Incredible steal from Ellington who gets the layup and the foul....and hits the FT to make it a 10 point lead with 1:22 left. Timeout: UNC
11:04 PM This is a major coming out game for Lawson. He is doing all of the things we thought he would do and he has yet to turn the ball over.
11:05 PM OSU cuts it to eight on yet another drive to the hoop. Hansbrough was playing some serious man defense 30 feet from the basket.
11:06 PM 51 seconds left and Ellington going to the line for two shots. He is also having a big game especially the second half.
11:07 PM Ellington makes 1 of 2 and yes he has 19 points. UNC up nine with 47 seconds left.
11:08 PM And UNC allows Lewis to drive the lane for a layup and fouls him. Missed free throw gives the ball to UNC with a seven point lead.
11:09 PM Oden count: 5
Lawson makes one of two free throws to make it an eight point lead. That is the only complaint about Lawson tonight is the bad FT shooting.
11:10 PM Oden count: 6 and 7. Make it eight now.
11:11 PM First of all Lawson needs to play defense. Secondly, there is no way he was on his way up. Even Vitale thinks so. UNC only up six after the two gimmie FTs from the refs.
11:12 PM Hansbrough hits both free throws to put UNC up 97-89. OSU turns it over with 16 left. UNC should survive with the win.
11:14 PM OSU is not giving up, the foul Hansbrough with 14 seconds left in the game. Missed the first and makes the second. Final seconds....
11:15 PM And that's it! Lawson steals it and runs the clock out. UNC wins 98-89 after putting together a huge second half.
I will have more analysis later.
11:17 PM SportsCenter coverage now and we are already hearing the "Greg Oden" did not play stuff. I know he is good but OSU was ranked #1 without him. Also, I love the talk about them seeing each other in Atlanta. The tournament is not usually that cooperative.
11:20 PM Can we shut up about Oden? He did not play tonight. When he does and is out there actually doing all the things we think he can do then we can talk about otherwise stop it.
11:21 PM Doris Burke with Hansbrough. Hansbrough is talking about kicking it out on double teams. Tyler is a very funny guy.
I will get some analysis out on this game soon. Lots to blog about.