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CHAPEL HILL -- Deon Thompson scored a career-high 20 points to help top-ranked North Carolina beat Kentucky 77-58 on Tuesday night despite playing yet again without national player of the year Tyler Hansbrough.

Wayne Ellington had 16 points for the Tar Heels (2-0), who led by double figures barely 4 minutes into the game and never were threatened in a matchup of the winningest programs in men's college basketball.

Patrick Patterson had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Wildcats (0-2), who finished with 28 turnovers in their second straight mistake-prone performance.

North Carolina didn't really need Hansbrough, who has missed almost three weeks of practice with a shin injury. Hansbrough sat out Saturday's opening win against Pennsylvania. It was the first game the senior had missed in his career.

And just as he did against the Quakers, Thompson provided the frontline scoring punch that's missing with Hansbrough's absence.

After matching his previous high with 17 points in the opener, Thompson was 10-of-16 from the field and had nine rebounds.

KENTUCKY (0-2)

FG FT Reb

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts

Harris 33 6-8 3-5 0-0 1 2 15

Stevenson 25 0-1 3-4 3-7 0 5 3

Patterson 36 8-11 3-4 2-11 1 2 19

Meeks 39 5-20 6-6 0-7 1 2 19

Porter 22 1-3 0-0 1-4 4 1 2

Miller 13 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 3 0

Liggins 18 0-0 0-0 0-2 7 3 0

Harrellson 9 0-0 0-0 0-2 0 2 0

Stewart 5 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0

Totals 200 20-45 15-19 8-37 14 20 58

Percentages: FG .444, FT .789.

3-point goals: 3-12, .250 (Meeks 3-9, Harris 0-1, Porter 0-2).

Team rebounds: 3.

Blocked shots: 10 (Stevenson 3, Patterson 2, Harrellson, Miller, Porter, Meeks, Harris).

Turnovers: 28 (Meeks 6, Harris 6, Miller 5, Liggins 4, Porter 4, Stevenson 2, Patterson).

Steals: 6 (Harris 3, Liggins, Porter, Stevenson).

Technical fouls: None.

NORTH CAROLINA (2-0)

FG FT Reb

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts

Green 28 2-5 1-2 0-5 3 2 6

Thompson 29 10-16 0-2 7-9 1 5 20

Zeller 22 1-6 0-0 0-1 0 3 2

Ellington 32 5-14 3-4 0-2 1 2 16

Lawson 29 3-15 5-6 1-1 9 1 11

Frasor 19 1-4 0-0 1-2 0 1 2

Davis 23 4-6 1-2 4-10 0 2 9

Drew II 11 1-2 0-0 0-1 2 1 3

Graves 7 2-2 2-2 0-0 0 1 8

Totals 200 29-70 12-18 16-35 16 18 77

Percentages: FG .414, FT .667.

3-point goals: 7-13, .538 (Ellington 3-5, Graves 2-2, Drew II 1-1, Green 1-2, Frasor 0-1, Lawson 0-2).

Team rebounds: 4.

Blocked shots: 4 (Green, Zeller, Davis, Thompson).

Turnovers: 10 (Thompson 2, Drew II 2, Lawson 2, Zeller, Davis, Graves, Frasor).

Steals: 16 (Green 4, Lawson 3, Zeller 2, Davis 2, Frasor 2, Ellington, Thompson, Drew II).

Technical fouls: None.

Kentucky 25 33 -- 58

North Carolina 41 36 -- 77

A--21,538. Officials--Karl Hess, Gary Maxwell, Roger Ayers.