Tar Heels Pound Harvard in NCAAs

Football players, to be exact.

The Crimson were searching for a way to simulate the Tar Heels' strength and athleticism, especially on the perimeter, so the team brought in some big bodies to help it get ready for UNC.

But apparently Ivy League football players don't shoot like Coretta Brown. And it seems that they haven't quite mastered the Tar Heels' harassing half-court defense.

In a game marked by hacking down low and scratching and jawing everywhere else, the Tar Heels persisted by working their inside-outside game to near-perfection, beating the Crimson 85-58 before 1,725 on Saturday at Carmichael Auditorium.

With the win, North Carolina (25-8) advanced to tonight's second-round matchup with Minnesota, a 71-54 winner against UNLV earlier Saturday.

"I feel like Harvard was one of the most physical teams we played during the season, and I have a little black eye to prove it," joked UNC forward Jennifer Thomas in a Sunday press conference.

Early on, the matchup had the makings of a close game, not a prize fight. The teams traded baskets until 12:31 remained in the first half, when the Crimson (22-6) led 14-12.

But starting with a Thomas free throw and ending with Brown's second 3-pointer of the night, the Tar Heels strung together a 14-2 run to take a 26-16 lead with 7:11 left before halftime.

During that stretch, the Tar Heels' halfcourt defense forced the smaller, slower Harvard players into four turnovers.

"Disrupting our rhythm and our entry passes and our timing was a huge part of the ballgame in the second half of the first half," said Crimson coach Kathy Delaney-Smith.

As Harvard's offense struggled to get the ball to leading scorers Raka Cserny and Hana Peljto, the Tar Heels began to pick apart the Crimson's triangle-and-two defense.

Brown led that dissection. She exploded for 21 of her career-high 28 points in the first half to lead UNC to a 42-24 lead at the break.

While Brown was teeing it up from outside, North Carolina point guard Nikki Teasley was doing her best to spread the ball all around the court. She took just four shots in the first half, but dished out six assists.

"Nikki was off tonight," Hatchell said. "She came by me one point and said, 'Coach, Coretta's in a zone!' And I said, 'Just get her the ball!'"

For the game, Teasley tied her season-high with 11 dimes, and the Tar Heels had assists on 21 of their 31 baskets.

Even after piling up a sizable first-half lead, North Carolina continued to go right at Harvard after the break. The Tar Heels got the ball inside to Thomas and Candace Sutton, who scored 18 and 13 points, respectively.

The Tar Heels' intensity spilled over into their emotions on the court, as well. UNC's aggressive defense forced 19 turnovers and endless Harvard frustration, especially for the Crimson's Jennifer Monti. The 5-foot-6 guard was constantly harried by North Carolina's pressure, committing seven turnovers.

By game's end, several UNC and Harvard players had scratches and bruises on their faces from the rough nature of the game.

But the Tar Heels, which didn't make the NCAA tournament in 2001, didn't seem to mind the game's roughness.

"I think that's NCAA basketball," said Brown, who now holds the ACC single-season record with 93 3s. "It's going to be a war."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.