CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Danny Green has made coming off the bench something of a show for top-ranked North Carolina this season.

First comes his gyrating dance moves from the Smith Center sideline just before tipoff. Then comes a solid all-around game that has made the Tar Heels deep and dangerous.

The junior matched his career-high with 20 points and sparked the decisive second-half spurt last night to help North Carolina beat Valparaiso, 90-58.

Tyler Hansbrough had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Tar Heels (13-0), who got off to a fast start only to see the Crusaders (10-3) hang around before finally putting the game away with a 27-2 second-half run for a 64-39 lead with 8:40 left to play.

"As long as we keep winning and as long as we play well, I'm fine with it," said Green, who scored 11 points, including three 3-pointers in the surge. "I don't need to start."

North Carolina is off to its best start since winning 17 in a row to start the 1997-98 season.

With just one game left before opening Atlantic Coast Conference play at No. 21 Clemson, North Carolina has been repeatedly rolling up big-margin victories and cracking the 100-point mark in crowd-pleasing fashion. The Tar Heels eventually made this one look the same despite losing all of an early 19-2 lead.

WAC

SAN JOSE STATE 72, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 71: Tim Pierce scored 14 points, including a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, and made two free throws to give the Spartans (6-5) a 70-68 lead they never lost with 1:21 left in the extra period to help beat the Jackrabbits (5-8) at San Jose, Calif.

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