Latta leads Tar Heels to ACC Championship

Apparently, there’s a pretty simple recipe for college basketball success, and the North Carolina women’s team followed it this season.

The Tar Heels started with a devastating pressure defense good enough to hold their opponents to a paltry 59.0 points per game.

Then they sprinkled in a bunch of talented, athletic players such as forwards Erlana Larkins, Camille Little and Nikita Bell.

Finally, they employed a blistering fast break that helped them outscore their opponents by 20-plus points a game — second-best in the nation.

“(We focus on) intensity … pushing it up the floor (and) keeping the tempo,” said Coach Sylvia Hatchell.

But in order to get the recipe just right, UNC used the one ingredient no other team had: a whole lotta Latta.

More than anything else, Ivory Latta, the sophomore point guard — who at 5-foot-6 looks like she wouldn’t be allowed to ride some roller coasters, let alone direct an elite college basketball team — was instrumental to the Tar Heels’ success.

She jumped in passing lanes. She racked up assists, many of the spectacular variety. She canned 86 percent of her free throws and almost 40 percent of her 3-point attempts. And most importantly, she ran. Fast.

Latta’s unparalleled ability to spearhead the fast break was probably the biggest asset in a season that saw UNC climb to No. 2 in the national polls.

“I haven’t seen anybody better,” said Coppin State head coach Derek Brown. “She’s a great 3-point shooter, a great passer — she’s just one heck of a player.”

And the Tar Heels (30-4, 12-2 in the ACC) had one heck of a season, winning both the conference regular season and tournament titles and going 3-for-3 against arch- rival Duke.

Glimpses of the juggernaut that UNC became were evident in only the second game of the year, when the Tar Heels defeated Connecticut 71-65 in the Jimmy V Classic in Raleigh.

“(UConn head coach Geno Auriemma) told me that two years ago, three of the four teams in this tournament went to the Final Four,” Hatchell said.

Four months later, the Tar Heels almost made it there themselves.

Playing in the Smith Center, top-seeded UNC pummeled Coppin State 97-62 and George Washington 71-47 to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Next up was No. 5 Arizona State on its home floor in Tempe, and despite an overwhelmingly hostile crowd, UNC managed to pull out a hard-fought 79-72 victory thanks in part to solid defensive pressure.

Said Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors earlier in the season: “They get in passing lanes, they get all over you, they pressure you (and) they anticipate very well.”

That’s as far as UNC got, though, falling to eventual champion Baylor 72-63 in its next game to miss the Final Four.

But UNC has the potential to be even more successful next season. The team returns everybody who played significant minutes except for Bell and guard Leah Metcalf.

The recipe won’t change in 2005-06, but the result could be even better.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.