Larkins key to stopping GW

The North Carolina women’s basketball team slept easy after its 97-62 romp against Coppin State on Sunday.

But tonight the team faces a player that could give the top-seeded Tar Heels nightmares in the post.

George Washington’s Anna Montañana has been the prime concern of Sylvia Hatchell’s team as it prepares for the ninth-seeded Colonials.

“We’re expecting a really tough game against them, and they have some great players,” Hatchell said. “Anna, she is a WNBA-level player, a great player.”

Montañana — a preseason All-American — has averaged 17.3 points per game this year and could hurt the Tar Heels from all over the court.

Though the 6’1” forward plays primarily in the paint, she creates matchup problems with her jump-shooting ability. Montañana hit 47 3s this season, connecting on 34 percent of her attempts.

UNC’s plane ticket to Tempe, Ariz., rests on the team’s ability to stop her, and that duty will fall to freshman forward Erlana Larkins. She may not be an All-American, but Larkins is considered one of the top freshmen in the country and has been a force for the Tar Heels this year in the paint.

Larkins’ 61.2 percent shooting stands at sixth in the nation and is the top mark in the ACC. Her hot shooting has drawn some favorable comparisons to that of her GW foe.

“(Montañana) and I are similar players,” Larkins said. “She’s a good option inside, she can pass the ball well, and she can also shoot the 15-foot jumper as well as the three-point shot. I think we are pretty much similar in our style of play.”

Senior Leah Metcalf said Larkins’ best asset for the Tar Heels has been her tenacity.

“She’s been great for us,” Metcalf said. “She hustles, she rebounds, just goes after it on the court. She leaves it all out there.”

UNC’s hustle lapsed Sunday during the second half, as the Tar Heels only outscored the vastly undermanned Lady Eagles by two points in the closing frame.

“It definitely wasn’t as intense as the first half was for us,” Metcalf said. “But that game is over with, and we’re just going to have to go in tomorrow with a new mentality and play intense for 40 minutes.”

On the other hand, the Colonials fought back from a 14-point deficit against Mississippi on Sunday with a furious second half comeback.

“They really wanted it,” Hatchell said. “They made big plays down the stretch whenever they were down. … We know they are a great team, and we know that we have to play a great game and be on our best to beat them.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.