RALEIGH - The North Carolina women's basketball team found itself in an unfavorable situation during the second half of Sunday's matchup against Connecticut.
With less than 15 minutes remaining, the Tar Heels trailed the defending national champions by 10, making it necessary for ninth-ranked UNC to do something it struggled to do last year - come back.
But the Tar Heels used a newfound resolve and a go-ahead 3-pointer by Ivory Latta with 1:46 left to knock off the fourth-ranked Huskies 71-65 in the Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic at the RBC Center.
"We played these freshmen last year through those (losses)," said UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell. "We let Ivory and Camille (Little) get a lot of experience, and we felt like it would pay off for us down the road."
The inside presence of this year's star freshman, Erlana Larkins, played a major factor in the game's outcome.
Larkins came off the bench to score 14 points and grab eight rebounds. Her three consecutive lay-ins midway through the second half sparked a 15-4 run that ended with UNC (2-0) regaining the lead for the first time since the six-minute mark of the first half.
"Our strategy was to drive and draw, and Ivory did that," Larkins said. "She drove and drew people to her, and I found the holes in the defense and made lay-ups."
The inspired play of Latta also was a key to the Tar Heels' victory against arguably their toughest non-conference opponent in recent years.
The sophomore guard shook off a 1-for-7 shooting performance in the first half to finish with a team-high 16 points, including the step-back 3-pointer that put UNC up by two and in control of the contest.