Even Without 'A' Game, Sutton Outmatches Wake

North Carolina had a simple strategy coming into its matchup with Wake Forest -- pound the ball inside.

But the Tar Heels' inside game didn't dominate on Thursday night. Although center Candace Sutton was less than stellar, her mere presence opened up UNC's halfcourt offense and helped the No. 10 Tar Heels defeat Wake 86-56 Thursday night.

"We wanted to get the ball inside at the beginning of the game because they didn't have any post players that were as big as I am," Sutton said.

Though Sutton missed some shots early, the Deacons' defense was wary of the 6-foot-6 center.

"Some games, they're really good inside, some not," said Wake Forest coach Charlene Curtis. "But they do a good job of spreading it out. And you have to account for Ms. Sutton."

One way the Deacons tried to account for her was by switching to a 1-3-1 zone with nine minutes left in the first half.

"The great thing about this team is that if (our opponents) focus on the inside, I can kick it out to our shooters," Sutton said.

And that's exactly what happened.

The zone neutralized Sutton but left open looks for UNC guards Coretta Brown and Leah Metcalf. After Metcalf nailed a 3-pointer and Brown hit a short baseline jumper, Wake Forest quickly switched back to its man-to-man defense.

"We knew that if we could get it into Candace, they would foul her," said UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell. "And that always opens up the outside when the defense starts trying to stop Candace and surrounding her."

Wake's smothering of Sutton also opened up inside looks for the other UNC players.

Forward Jennifer Thomas was 6 for 7 from the field, scoring all but one of her baskets in the paint.

The Tar Heels finished the first half 16 for 24 in the paint while the Deacons were 9 for 25, a key to UNC's 22-point lead at the break. Sutton had just four points in the first half, going 1 for 3 from the field and 2 for 6 from the line. She finished with 12 points and six rebounds.

"It wasn't my best game," Sutton said. "And it wasn't my worst game. But you just learn from your mistakes."

And UNC has learned that even when Sutton makes mistakes, she can still be a valuable contributor.

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