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(04/26/10 4:35am)
North Carolina defensive linemen E.J. Wilson and Cam Thomas have spent their entire football careers playing on the East Coast.But thanks to the decisions of a pair of NFL franchises this weekend at the league’s annual draft, the two Tar Heel linemen are headed west.Wilson was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round (127th overall), while Thomas was taken in the fifth round (146th overall) by the San Diego Chargers.“I feel like I’m coming to a real good situation, a real good organization,” Wilson said on the Seahawks’ website. “I felt like Seattle would be a great place for me to live. I’m really excited and happy about it.”Wilson and Thomas played a large role on UNC’s defense last season, as the Tar Heels finished sixth nationally in total defense.Wilson, a defensive end, had a career-best 49 tackles last season and had 12 tackles for loss. Wilson also had four sacks for the year.Thomas, a 330-pound, 6-foot-3 defensive tackle, was integral in North Carolina’s improvement against the run. The Tar Heels improved from the No. 56-ranked defense against the run in 2008 to the No. 10 unit in 2009.Thomas recorded 23 tackles in his senior season and also scored a touchdown on a 20-yard fumble return against Boston College.He was originally thought to be a potential second-round pick by several draft experts but didn’t go off the board until long after most anticipated.Despite the drop, Thomas is expected to compete for playing time almost immediately.“There’s a lot of times where he plays like he’s a high draft pick,” San Diego head coach Norv Turner said in a press conference. “That’s what you’re looking for. A guy you can bring in here and develop.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(04/12/10 9:49pm)
Sophomore forward Ed Davis has declared for the NBA Draft, according to an email from the North Carolina athletic department.
(04/07/10 4:22am)
At least 50 non-scholarship athletes will make their way to Hooker Fields for a chance to channel their inner Rudy, if only for a few hours tonight.These Tar Heels might not be fighting for an opportunity to see live football action like in the climactic scene of the Hollywood classic, but the fastest ones will get a shot to beat some of Butch Davis’ fleetest athletes.The initial challenge will be to complete one of the afternoon’s fastest 40-yard dashes. The top three male and female finishers advance to the final race at halftime of North Carolina’s spring football game on Saturday.
(04/05/10 4:40am)
Immediately following his team’s loss in the finals of the National Invitation Tournament, North Carolina coach Roy Williams wasn’t in the mood to talk about silver linings.His eyes puffy and red after delivering the Tar Heels their last postgame speech of the season, Williams said he did not know how UNC’s run through the postseason tournament would change how he would look back on the season.“This was the hardest year I’ve ever had coaching, there’s no question about that,” Williams said. “I didn’t do a very good job with this team, and that is hard for a coach to say, but I can say it because I believe it.”But while Williams was still melancholy about the season as a whole, he acknowledged there were plenty of positives to take from the last three weeks of basketball.Something especially important to Williams as the season progressed was giving his seniors a proper send-off.And thanks to UNC’s late-season winning streak, Williams got exactly that. Veterans Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard now have something positive to look back on when remembering their senior seasons.But the benefits of the Tar Heels’ turnaround in March didn’t just extend to those departing from the program. The second-tier postseason tournament helped drill home to North Carolina’s young guns what it takes to win at the college level.“We’ve got to remember how hard we played right here, just keep going and hopefully be able to play that hard next year,” sophomore forward Tyler Zeller said.Williams said he was pleased with the intensity and sense of urgency his players displayed in their final five games, starting with UNC’s 80-72 victory against William and Mary in Carmichael Arena.It wasn’t just a raised level of intensity that separated those wins from a difficult regular season. In those games, the Tar Heels showed they were beginning to learn lessons they had struggled with during ACC play.Point guard Larry Drew II became a go-to guy at the end of games, UNC pulled off three victories away from Chapel Hill and its defense finally began to make key stops.“It was just a way for us to look on the bright side, because we had an opportunity to play again after a disappointing regular season,” Drew said. “I think guys really benefited from this run.”Next year, Thompson, UNC’s leading scorer, and Ginyard will be gone, but the Tar Heels will be bolstered by a trio of highly rated recruits, including No. 1 prospect Harrison Barnes.But for those that return from this team, the NIT will be a reminder of where Williams’ message to them finally got through.“I love this run, because it showed the effort and resolve and the positive things that can happen,” Williams said. “So from that viewpoint, I’m going to appreciate what we learned from it.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(04/05/10 4:39am)
NEW YORK — During its run to the NIT finals, North Carolina had made a habit out of coming back.In all four games before the championship, UNC staged a second-half rally to earn a victory.Thursday night appeared to follow a similar theme.In the second half of Dayton’s 79-68 win against North Carolina, the Tar Heels trimmed a double-digit halftime deficit to three points or fewer eight times.Each time induced the same reaction from the crowd. UNC fans would stand and attempt to will their team into the lead, and the noise from the large UD contingent in Madison Square Garden would become muffled.But all eight times, the Tar Heels simply didn’t have enough to make the next step.“We just didn’t finish the job,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “We made a nice run early in the second half and just could never get over the hump.”Sometimes it was simply great execution on offense by Dayton (25-12). Teammates Chris Johnson and Marcus Johnson made four 3-pointers combined in the second half, three of those occurring when UNC (20-17) had cut the lead to one possession.Dayton made a ho-hum 11-for-31 3-point shots for the game, but its players came up clutch when they needed to be.Those crucial shots in the finals helped Johnson earn the NIT’s Most Outstanding Player.“Every time they hit a shot, you’d be like, ‘Gah!’” point guard Larry Drew II said.Other times, it was simply the Flyers outhustling and outworking North Carolina on the offensive glass.While the Tar Heels dominated the boards Tuesday night against Rhode Island in the NIT semifinals, Dayton fought its way to a 41-34 rebounding edge in the title game. Eleven of those were of the offensive variety, leading to nine second-chance points in the second half.“I think they just gave a superb effort,” forward Tyler Zeller said. “They were going after each loose ball harder than we were,”The fact that the Tar Heels had drilled themselves for this exact situation made the missed opportunities even tougher to swallow.During timeouts, the team would remind itself of its “stop, score, stop” competitions in practice and try to carry over it to the game.In that particular drill, UNC players split into two teams and scrimmage each other to see which squad could sandwich two defensive stops around a made basket. The competition becomes a hotly contested affair between the blue and white teams, with the winner gaining all important bragging rights for the night.And while the Tar Heels sometimes were able to grab a defensive stop with the score within one possession, they couldn’t complete the score part of the competition afterward.“The whole time, especially down the stretch, we were just like, ‘OK, guys, this is what we practice for,’” Drew said. “It’s definitely a lot easier said than done. When a team’s on fire like it seems like they were, it’s pretty hard.”But for all the effort put into the comeback — the Tar Heels went on a 12-1 run to open the second half and junior Will Graves scored 19 points after intermission — Dayton proved too resilient for UNC to sneak into the lead.Unlike their first four NIT games, the Tar Heels’ best punch down the stretch was met by an even stronger right hook from the Flyers.“It’s frustrating. It’s been happening to us all season, it seems like,” Drew said. “It’s just like it’s either you’re going to make plays and get stops, or you’re not going to make plays and get stops.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(04/02/10 3:16am)
NEW YORK – In the second half of Dayton’s 79-68 win against North Carolina, the Tar Heels scratched and clawed into the Flyers’ double-digit halftime lead to cut the margin to three points or fewer eight times.
(04/01/10 3:58pm)
NIT championship live chat
(04/01/10 2:11am)
A 32-point loss isn’t usually included in a discussion of a team’s increased effort level.But that’s exactly what point guard Larry Drew II wanted to talk about when asked why North Carolina has shown more emotion and passion in this year’s NIT than during the regular season.That defeat, an 82-50 shellacking at Duke, broke through whatever barrier stood between UNC and the message of coach Roy Williams.“Things just kind of clicked in for us — snapped, I guess — especially after that Duke game,” Drew said. “It was a certain feeling that we got, knowing that we haven’t been playing as well. I felt like we let a lot of people down, ourselves included.”Earning back that trust has taken the form of an increased level of ferocity on the defensive end.Diving for loose balls has become the norm. Blocked shots await any opposing guard hoping to sneak into the lane for an easy two. And a sense of urgency for the full 40 minutes has cut down on defensive lapses.Together, those have transformed UNC from the worst scoring defense in the ACC to a stingy unit that’s earned its way in the NIT finals.In the Tar Heels’ four games in the postseason tournament, they haven’t allowed an opponent to shoot better than 42 percent from the field.“I guess everything Coach was talking about finally got through to us and sunk in,” Deon Thompson said. “Getting after loose balls and all the little things we didn’t do all season. Now that we’re doing those things, we’re finding some wins in the win column.”That defensive focus comes in handy during poor shooting nights like Tuesday. UNC shot only 35 percent in that one. Dominating numbers on the glass — the Tar Heels grabbed 60 rebounds to Rhode Island’s 45 — were enough to nudge them to victory.“Learning involves teaching and absorbing, and the other part is putting into action. We haven’t changed our coaching style; we kept trying to emphasize,” Williams said. “I kept saying I have to find a way to get them to do that. I still don’t know what we did except they do have it a lot better right now.”UNC’s final test this season will come against a Dayton team that earned its way to the title game the same way the Tar Heels did.The Flyers hassled Ole Miss into 34 percent shooting in the semifinals en route to a 68-63 win, and they did it from contributions across their roster — 11 Dayton players saw action.Only two Flyers average double figures in scoring for the season, but they all possess a high level of athleticism Williams is having trouble preparing his team for.“Their pace of play is impressive. Substitutions are impressive. I substitute a lot, but they substitute a heck of a lot more than we do,” Williams said. “They have some youngsters that are extremely athletic, extremely quick. It is impossible to simulate it.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/31/10 5:26am)
NEW YORK — A Nestle iced tea bottle flew on the court in the seconds following North Carolina’s 68-67 victory in the semifinals of the NIT.It landed a few feet away from where Rhode Island’s Lamonte Ulmer was sprawled out on the court, despondent after the Rams came up just short against the Tar Heels.The beverage’s unusual landing spot was the result of a couple questionable calls late in the game, the biggest one a no-call in which it looked like Ulmer tripped over UNC junior Will Graves.And though a partisan Rhode Island crowd inside Madison Square Garden vehemently disagreed, Graves was coy with his comment afterward.“No comment,” Graves said.And while the end of the game was in question, it was experience that put UNC in a position to nab the victory.Senior Deon Thompson didn’t start the way he wanted in his 151st game at North Carolina.In the game in which he tied the NCAA record for games played, Thompson found himself with space about 15 feet from the basket on UNC’s first possession.He set up for his patented midrange jumper and rose to hit the bucket he has drained countless times in his UNC career.But instead of finding the bottom of the net, his shot clanged off the back of the rim and into the arms of Rhode Island’s Delroy James.Undaunted, Thompson established post position a minute later and backed down a Rhode Island defender beneath the basket once he received the ball.But as he rose to bank in a layup, Ulmer came from the backside and blocked his shot into the crowd at the Garden.And on his third shot attempt, Thompson lost the ball when he hit the underside of the backboard on the way up.“It was definitely tough with the easy baskets I was missing at the beginning. They were point blank ones,” Thompson said. “Rhode Island did a good job of speeding everybody up, and we were going too fast instead of taking our time.”But a player doesn’t participate in all those games without learning a few veteran lessons.While Thompson struggled from the field the rest of the game — scoring 16 points on 6-for-20 shooting — the senior didn’t let his shooting woes affect the rest of his game.He and fellow senior Marcus Ginyard made up for those misses with veteran efforts on the glass and pivotal plays down the stretch to keep UNC within striking distance.Thompson added a team-high 13 rebounds to register his second straight double-double, while Ginyard nabbed 10 rebounds to offset his 0-for-3 shooting.With less than a minute remaining in the first half and UNC down 30-27, Thompson received a pass in stride from Drew and finished a layup despite a hard slap on the wrist. Thompson sank the free throw to tie the score, then drew a charge at the defensive end to preserve a tie game at intermission.Plays like those allowed Drew to slice through the lane for a game-tying bucket in the last minute of regulation for the game-defining play, and they put UNC in a position to grind out an “ugly win,” as Williams put it.For the game, the Tar Heels outrebounded the Rams 60-45. Twenty-seven of those were of the offensive variety.“I think the biggest difference is we’ve competed harder,” Williams said. “Deon dove on the floor and got a possession in the first half … John (Henson) chased down a loose ball.“Those simple little things like that are really big for you, especially in a one-point game.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/30/10 4:11am)
Before his team was matched up against Rhode Island, North Carolina coach Roy Williams didn’t know all that much about the Rams (26-9), and understandably so.The Tar Heels (19-16) have met the Atlantic-10 foe just three times in their 100-year history, the last time being a 112-67 win in the 1993 NCAA Tournament.But witnessing their 40 minutes of basketball in Blacksburg, Va., was more than enough to have Williams and his assistants scrambling to formulate a game plan.“I’m scared, first of all, because we tried our darnedest to beat Virginia Tech at Virginia Tech, and we didn’t get it done,” Williams said. “I watched every possession of the game, and I was extremely impressed.”Rhode Island features a balanced scoring attack, with three players averaging double-digits in the point column. Senior guard Keith Cothran paces the Rams offensively with 14.1 points per game, and forwards Delroy James and Lamonte Ulmer chip in 13.2 and 11.9 ppg, respectively.On the strength of that trio, Rhode Island posted the second-highest scoring average in the Atlantic 10 this season.“They’ve got some very good players, and we’ve definitely got our hands full,” sophomore Tyler Zeller said.The Rams’ scoring balance will butt heads with a UNC defense that has become increasingly stingy. Though North Carolina finished last in scoring defense in the ACC this season, the Tar Heels have allowed an average of only 67 points per game in NIT play.And UNC has made key defensive stops when it needed them. Without a two-handed John Henson block against Mississippi State, the Tar Heels could have been eliminated in the second round.The same goes for the crucial defensive clampdowns in the final minutes of UNC’s victories against UAB and William & Mary.“It starts with one person playing hard, and everyone feeds off each other,” Henson said. “One person comes to play D … and we come and feed off their energy.”Whatever the result of tonight’s semifinal game, Williams said he will not find a silver lining in it unless he sees all-out hustle from his players.Williams spoke on numerous occasions this season of a lack of passion from the Tar Heels and said he was frustrated that he was forced to coach effort for the first time in his 22-year career on the bench.Though his team has shown improvement in that area in the National Invitational Tournament, one such lapse occurred in the second round against Mississippi State. UNC fell behind 13-2 in the game’s first four minutes in what Henson called a lack of focus.“Our goal has not been to make it to New York or not been to win the whole thing. It’s to try to play the best we can every day,” Williams said. “Every game I say let’s play our tails off, and perhaps someone will say, ‘OK, we’ll let you play one more.’”
(03/30/10 4:06am)
Everything about freshman Dexter Strickland is precise.The whisker-thin mustache just above his upper lip is always groomed to perfection. That attention to detail extends to his neatly trimmed hairline, where there’s never a strand out of place.And when he answers a question, he’s never in a rush. He pauses to measure his words until he figures out a response that is just right.Perhaps that’s why the transition to Carolina blue has been so difficult for him.On the basketball court, the first-year point guard has struggled to be the meticulous person he is off it.“It was tough at first because I never played the point guard position,” said Strickland, who played shooting guard in high school. “Roy (Williams has) been getting on me in practice to make sure I’m doing the right things.“I have silly turnovers in a game, but all I can do is learn from them and get better.”The steep learning curve he faced was evident from his first game as a Tar Heel.In that game, an 88-72 rout of Florida International, Strickland looked as comfortable as a duck to ice.He turned the ball over five times, notching only two points to go with one assist.“I was nervous, just to play in front of 22,000 fans every night,” Strickland said. “Just bringing the ball up, always having the ball in your hands, everybody looks for you to make plays for them.”But that’s not to say the former McDonald’s All-American didn’t flash his potential early.Against eventual Final Four team Michigan State on Dec. 1, the Rahway, N.J., native made the most of his 14 minutes on the court to stuff the box score. Strickland scored nine points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal — all to go with exactly zero turnovers.Add that to his 17-point explosion at Clemson, and it’s easy to see why coach Roy Williams was so excited with him during the recruiting process.“I think he’s understanding more about what we’re doing each and every game and practice experience,” Williams said. “He’s got some really big-time tools.”But those highlights have come with too many inconsistent showings for his liking. Poor decision-making seesawed him between Williams’ doghouse and good graces all season.“I don’t think anybody has seen me play to my full potential on the college level,” Strickland said. “It’s kind of aggravating because I put the work in, and I can’t wait until it pays off.”For the year, Strickland’s adjustment to point guard has worked out to 5.6 points per game and an almost even assist-to-turnover ratio — 67 assists to 59 mistakes.“I can only imagine how tough it’s been for Dexter, playing two-guard most of your life and then coming to a program like UNC where there’s so much responsibility on the point guard,” guard Larry Drew II said. “He’s handled it a lot better than I would have expected him to.”That attitude has been Strickland’s saving grace.Strickland has fought through his mistakes and a tough UNC season to salvage some success in the NIT, where he is averaging 7.7 points per game and has committed just three turnovers.But don’t expect Strickland to be satisfied with that improvement.After all, there are still a few hairs out of place.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/27/10 10:33pm)
David chats with Junior Attackman Billy Bitter about the season so far and puts Billy’s shooting accuracy to the test. The men’s lacrosse team defeated previously-unbeaten Maryland today, 9-7. UNC is 9-0 on the season.
(03/24/10 3:37am)
Tuesday morning seemed a lot like spring practice for a group of 14 former North Carolina football players.A familiar army of orange cones were scattered across Navy Field, mandatory sprints were the norm and a chilling wind reminded them winter was just barely in the rearview mirror.The difference was that instead of hearing Butch Davis and the rest of the UNC coaching staff barking orders, 32 NFL scouts were the ones scrutinizing their every move.“I was geeked; I was ready to go,” senior defensive end E.J. Wilson said of his mood before UNC’s Pro Day. “I was ready to get out and run around a little bit and get back on this field where I’ve been practicing for five years.”The running portion of the workout began with a test of the most buzzed-about pre-draft measurement — the 40-yard dash.Almost every scout in attendance lined up with stopwatch in hand at either the 10-, 20- or 40-yard marks to get splits on each player’s acceleration and top speed.The biggest surprise in the 40 was former UNC quarterback Cam Sexton, whose time was in the 4.4 second range. Sexton, who transferred to Catawba College last season, said he had not run that quickly since his high school days.Sexton also expressed regret for leaving the UNC program early, even if that meant sitting on the bench his senior season behind T.J. Yates.“I probably should have stayed here,” Sexton said. “It was just a decision I felt like I had to make.”After the straight-line sprint, the players broke into drills that tested agility and change of direction.Almost every player slipped or stumbled on the turf surface during one of the many drills they were put through, but scouts gave them second chances when a mistake was made.“It’s personal. It’s not like they’re trying to get through it, because they have another group coming up,” Wilson said. “They’re really trying to see what you can do and how you perform when you’re tired.”Defensive tackle Cam Thomas was visibly angry at himself after a few slips, and he let off long yells after finishing two of the drills.“I wasn’t really frustrated. It’s just I know I could have done better,” Thomas said. “It was just, ‘All right, go to the next one, move to the next one.’”But thanks to a strong performance in the Senior Bowl, Thomas’ status as a draft pick is still secure. His agent has told him several teams have called with interest.He still isn’t quite sure who any of them are yet, however.“He didn’t want to tell me because he didn’t want me to get caught up in the hype,” Thomas said.
(03/24/10 3:08am)
The North Carolina men's basketball team upset UAB on the road Tuesday night 60-55 to advance to the semifinals of the NIT in Madison Square Garden.
(03/20/10 6:02pm)
Thanks to a Larry Drew II layup with two seconds remaining, No. 4 seed North Carolina stunned No. 1 seed Mississippi State Saturday 76-74 in Starkville, Miss.
(03/19/10 4:43pm)
David and Powell discuss today’s basketball game against Mississippi State.
(03/17/10 3:48am)
William & Mary drilled 16 3-pointers, but North Carolina held off the Tribe 80-72 in the first round of the NIT tournament.
(03/15/10 4:02am)
GREENSBORO — It was one and done in the ACC Tournament for the North Carolina men’s basketball team.The formula for UNC’s latest loss — a 62-58 defeat to Georgia Tech (22-12) — was a familiar one. Too many turnovers, too many missed shots and too much inexperience down the stretch.“It’s extremely disappointing, to say the least, but it’s been that kind of year,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “The bottom line is we couldn’t make a shot.“It’s been the kind of year that I’d never imagined, never had to go through, and I hope we never have to go through it again.”The Tar Heels (16-16) couldn’t muster a field goal in the game’s final 5:13, and the team shot just a hair better than 33 percent for the entire game.North Carolina’s starting guards were the main culprits. Sophomore Larry Drew II and junior Will Graves combined to go a frosty 3-for-21 from the field, including a paltry 1-for-12 from the 3-point line.Shooting numbers like those — along with several untimely turnovers — helped the Yellow Jackets erase a 10-point halftime deficit in a matter of minutes.By the first media timeout with 15:21 remaining in the half, Ga. Tech had already stepped into the lead.After that quick run, the game was back and forth until the final minutes.Ga. Tech’s defense then proceeded to tighten up and deny UNC an easy opportunities at the basket.“We had good shots, bad shots, easy shots,” a subdued Drew said afterward. “It just seemed like nothing was going in.”A Graves 3-point attempt near the end of the second half summed up UNC’s struggles. The shot was tantalizingly close — it rimmed all the way around the basket — but ultimately lipped out and denied UNC a chance to get within one possession of the Yellow Jackets with less than two minutes to play.Ga. Tech coach Paul Hewitt had a simpler explanation for how his team trimmed UNC’s lead so quickly after intermission.“Start guarding,” Hewitt said with a laugh. “I just think it was a case of us not being in our stance and not really digging in.”The loss spoiled forward Tyler Zeller’s first career double-double, a 17-point, 10-rebound performance which set the tone for a tough and physical effort from UNC.It was Zeller’s highest scoring output since a non-conference game against Marshall.Senior Deon Thompson was the only other Tar Heel in double figures, with 10 points.The defeat sent UNC into bubble trouble — for the NIT, not the NCAA Tournament.North Carolina snuck its way into the lower tier tournament Sunday, and Williams made it clear he has no qualms about participating in it.He said he just wants his young team to get a few more games under its belt.“If somebody’s going to invite me to play, I’m going to go play. Period, the end,” Williams said.But one thing is for sure for Williams and UNC. The next North Carolina loss will be its last, and a painful season for the program will finally come to an end.Not that this year’s team wants it to, however.Drew spoke in earnest after the game about wanting to keep playing to get better, and Zeller echoed those sentiments.“I don’t know if there will be a sense of relief, but I will use it as motivation for next year,” Zeller said. “I need to find something and turn it around and make it a positive. It has been frustrating.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/12/10 3:41am)
GREENSBORO – It’s one and done in the ACC Tournament for the North Carolina men’s basketball team.
(03/05/10 5:15am)
GREENSBORO – Foul trouble kept Maryland’s Lynetta Kizer on the sidelines for most of the Terrapins’ opening round game of the ACC Tournament.But her 22 minutes on the court were more than enough for Maryland to send North Carolina packing.Kizer poured in 22 points Thursday afternoon — a point per minute pace — to overwhelm an outmatched UNC defense and send her team to the quarterfinals.“When she decides to play, she’s an All-American,” UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “I’ve seen her really, really do some damage when she wants to, and she did that to us today.”Kizer also wasn’t afraid to mix it up down low, snaring 10 rebounds to go with all those points. “She made so many plays,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “I thought they really didn’t have an answer for her with her stepping out, being able to bang down low.”Kizer was the best player from the opening tip. Before three minutes in the first half elapsed, she had already drilled a three-pointer and scored two more from close range.But that’s when Hatchell’s game plan put a halt to her hot start. The Tar Heels fed the ball down low on almost every possession, and it didn’t take long for Kizer to rack up two fouls defending the likes of Chay Shegog and Krista Gross.With Kizer’s minutes limited, a 16-point first-half lead dropped to five late in the opening period.“We were trying to get it inside, and I thought (Shegog) was pretty aggressive taking the ball in there to them,” Hatchell said.Kizer wasn’t able to stay on the court very long in the second half, either. She spent the better half of a 10-minute stretch on the bench after recording two more fouls.UNC took advantage, trimming a 16-point Maryland second-half edge to just four with 5:28 remaining.At that point, with the score tight at 61-57, Frese couldn’t wait any longer.She pointed to her 6-foot-4 sophomore center on the bench and put her back in despite her high foul total.Kizer’s effect on the Maryland offense was instantaneous. With defenders gravitating toward her on every possession, more open looks were available offensively, and the Maryland lead quickly grew to a comfortable margin once again.Soon after she re-entered the game, Kizer passed out of a double-team to find teammate Jackie Nared wide open at the three-point line to push Maryland’s lead to eight.And on the next possession, just after UNC missed a jumper, Kizer streaked down the center of the court unguarded, caught a long outlet pass in stride and sank an easy layup to put Maryland up by double digits and essentially seal the game.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.