The scouting report from North Carolina’s nailbiting win against Albany Sunday couldn’t have done sixth-seeded Delaware much good.
Hot shooting, careful ball-movement and varied scoring — not hallmarks of UNC’s game as of late — have given the Tar Heels a 43-35 lead at halftime.
North Carolina’s Tierra Ruffin-Pratt scored more than half of UNC’s points en route to the Tar Heels’ 59-54 victory.
Today, she has zero points in the first half, but eight assists.
And anything the Blue Hens might have been told about the Tar Heels’ inability to shoot from long range has likely also been discarded after the first half.
Megan Buckland has come alive from beyond the arc — really, for the first time since her five-for-five 3-point performance against Georgia Tech back in January. She hit four consecutive 3-pointers in the half’s final two and a half minutes. This likely comes as a surprise to the Blue Hens, especially since the redshirt freshman airballed her only two 3-point attempts on Sunday against the Great Danes.
Brittany Rountree started things off two quick 3-pointers.
Overall, North Carolina is shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 60 percent from long range. The Tar Heels also made seven of eight free throws.
Other than two possessions during which Delaware took brief one-point leads, the Tar Heels have led the entire first half.
Waltiea Rolle has dominated standout guard/forward hybrid Elena Della Donne inside. Rolle recorded 15 points, 4 rebounds, and an astonishing six blocks — just two off her career high eight against Albany. Delle Donne has 19 points, but has been largely kept off the glass.
The Tar Heels committed 10 fouls in the first half, the price of swarming and physical defense.
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