CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Freshman Tyler Zeller scored 18 points Saturday to help top-ranked North Carolina beat Pennsylvania 86-71 despite playing without reigning national player of the year Tyler Hansbrough.

Deon Thompson added 17 points for the Tar Heels, who led by double figures much of the day yet had trouble putting together a game-sealing run without their injured star senior roaming the paint. North Carolina was also without fellow senior Marcus Ginyard, injuries that forced North Carolina to thrust Zeller and fellow rookie big man Ed Davis into the lineup.

Zeller, a 7-footer, started in Hansbrough’s spot and finished 5-for-8 from the field and 8-for-10 from the foul line, though he had just two rebounds. Davis had 10 points and 14 rebounds in 22 minutes.

Tyler Bernardini scored 26 points to lead the Quakers, who hung around much of the way thanks largely to their 3-point shooting. But though they managed to cut a 20-point second-half lead to 10 with about 4 minutes left, they never seriously threatened to pull a season-opening upset.

This was the first regular-season game Hansbrough has missed in his career. The 6-9 forward has missed more than two weeks of practice with a stress reaction in his right shin — which can be a precursor to a stress fracture without proper rest — and it’s unclear when he’ll be ready to return, though coach Roy Williams said this week the team is just being conservative with his recovery.

Ginyard is out until December after having foot surgery, robbing the Tar Heels of their top defender.

That left plenty of shots for Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson and Danny Green, the three who pondered a jump to the NBA before deciding to return to school in June. But it was Thompson who turned in the steadiest performance among the returning upperclassmen, going 7-for-11 from the field and grabbing seven rebounds.

No. 18 USC 78,

UC Irvine 55

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taj Gibson scored 17 points, including six straight in a decisive second-half run, and No. 18 Southern California defeated UC Irvine 78-55 Saturday to win its first season opener in four years.

DeMar DeRozan added 14 points in his college debut as the Trojans’ highly touted replacement for top scorer O.J. Mayo, who was a first-round NBA draft pick after one season.

No. 14 Tennessee 114, Chattanooga 75

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tyler Smith had 23 points and five assists and No. 14 Tennessee defeated Chattanooga 114-75 on Saturday night.

Chattanooga’s only lead came off two free throws by Khalil Hartwell to put the Mocs up 8-7 with 16:22 left in the first half.

No. 10 Gonzaga 83,

Montana St.-Billings 52

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt scored 15 points apiece and No. 10 Gonzaga cruised past Division II Montana State-Billings on Saturday night.

The No. 10 Bulldogs shot 56.7 percent from the floor in the second half, converting 17-of-30 field-goal attempts, after leading by just five points at halftime.

Daye, who suffered a partially-torn knee ligament over the summer, showed no signs of the injury, playing 25 minutes and grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking four shots.

Michael Hall scored 14 unanswered points in the final 3:14 of the first half to cut Gonzaga’s lead to 33-28.

Hall led all scorers by connecting on five three-pointers, scoring 24 points to lead the Yellowjackets.