Chapel Hill, NC -- (Sports Network) - Tyler Hansbrough posted his fifth consecutive double-double, with 27 points and 11 rebounds, as top-ranked North Carolina defeated Nicholls State, 88-78, at the Smith Center.

Hansbrough suffered a concussion late in the second half of 93-71 win at Rutgers on Sunday night, but recovered quickly and didn't miss a beat on Wednesday.

Wayne Ellington posted 20 points, while Marcus Ginyard and Ty Lawson each scored 12 for the Tar Heels (10-0), who returned home after a perfect six-game road swing. UNC is off to its best start since the 1997-98 Final Four squad started the season 17-0.

"It wasn't a very good game for us," said North Carolina coach Roy Williams. "You don't have to be a nuclear physicist or a basketball coach to figure that out...another step in a long journey."

Ryan Bathie had 17 points and doled out eight assists for the Colonels (4-8), who were coming off a 72-60 win over Lipscomb last Saturday and were facing their first-ever ranked team. Gil Verner had 16 points, while Michael Czepil and Dominic Friend each donated 13.

"I'm really proud of the men tonight," said Nicholls State coach J.P. Piper. "We said going into tonight's game that we didn't want to focus on the scoreboard, we wanted to focus on the process within the game, defending and running offense and we maintained that throughout the game. We are real encouraged by tonight's game. When we carry this over into the Southland Conference we will win some games."

Nicholls State shot the ball fairly well in the first half, and after facing an early 14-8 deficit, began to match the Tar Heels nearly shot for shot. An Anatoly Bose jumper made it a one-point game, before Hansbrough sparked North Carolina, scoring the team's next five points to open a 26-21 edge.

The Colonels answered with a quick 5-0 spurt, knotting things up at 26-26, before the Tar Heels created some breathing room. A Quentin Thomas bucket ignited a 17-7 run, giving the home squad a 43-33 lead with 2:17 left in the half.

North Carolina closed things out at the line and took a 48-37 lead to the break.

Nicholls State tried to play catch-up in the second half, but after the Tar Heels opened with seven unanswered points, the outcome was no longer in question.

A Hansbrough free throw gave North Carolina a 20-point cushion, 67-47, and the Colonels never pulled closer than 10 the rest of the way while facing Tar Heel reserves.

Game Notes

This was the first-ever meeting between the teams...Hansbrough has five consecutive double-digit rebounding games for the first time in his Carolina career...Ellington has scored 13 or more points in every game this season...The Tar Heels struggled from three-point range, finishing just 3-of-12.