32 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/31/08 4:00am)
CHARLOTTE - With a little more than 10 minutes to play in the second half against Louisville and the score all tied up at 59, the No. 1-seeded Tar Heels set out to prove they are not the same squad that crumbled against Georgetown in the Elite Eight last season.
And after five straight points from a Tyler Hansbrough who refused to see history repeat itself, North Carolina never allowed the No. 3 seeded Cardinals to get back in the game Saturday night.
The Tar Heels came up with some big stops in the closing minutes and couldn't have been better from the charity stripe on the way to an 83-73 victory that is now their ticket to San Antonio.
"They are focused young men," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "So it was something where the kids were able to step up and make plays."
It was a feeling this North Carolina bunch did not want to experience again - getting so close to reaching the Final Four and coming up just short.
But after hearing Williams talk incessantly all week about the team being "tough enough, patient enough and poised enough," his team certainly showed that it took those words to heart.
Point guard Ty Lawson's ability to single-handedly beat the Louisville press was a key aspect of UNC's ability to withstand the Cardinals' second-half run, but the decisive factor for the Tar Heels was that Hansbrough scored 20 of his game-high 28 points in the second half.
On one pivotal possession late in the second half, Hansbrough revealed an unseen wrinkle to his game that will give Kansas defenders one more thing to think about - a pump fake.
Receiving the ball about 18 feet from the basket, Hansbrough looked as though he was about to release another long jumper. But as his Cardinal defender flew through the air, he pulled the ball back down, took a few steps in and connected for two.
"He was so huge for us, and he just stepped up and knocked down some big time shots," sophomore guard Wayne Ellington said of Hansbrough's performance. "He basically put us on his back and carried us."
And with one minute left to play, the fouling game began. UNC was up 75-66, and Lawson nailed two free throws to put the Tar Heels up by 11.
"Free throws are always important in a game," junior Danny Green said. "If you get fouled, you have to make a team pay for fouling you. If you don't knock your free throws down, then they win the possession."
This was exactly how Louisville's game plan worked in the final minute, but it didn't work out in the Cardinals' favor. The Cardinals traded layups for free throws, as UNC went 8-for-8 from the foul line in the final 60 seconds.
"Teams are going to go on runs, and they're going to be up. It's going to happen," said Green, who went 6-for-6 from the line.
"How you react to what happens shows how tough you are mentally, and I think this team has matured."
This maturity has translated into a UNC team that is also a little tougher, a little more patient and a little more poised.
Just as Williams hoped, those three things have catapulted the Tar Heels into the Final Four and will need to be on display if they are going to continue to see success in San Antonio against Kansas.
But North Carolina junior forward Marcus Ginyard is confident that he and his teammates are on the right track.
"I think that this team has done the best job of being tough and playing with poise late in the stretch," he said.
"We always find ourselves in situations where we need to play better, we need to play smarter, we need to play tougher and we always do a great job of digging deep."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/26/08 5:00am)
Coming off their fifth-straight ACC victory, the Tar Heels have plenty to be happy about after sending Wake Forest home on the losing end of an 89-73 decision Sunday night in the Smith Center.
But despite out-rebounding the Deacons by a margin of 14 and sinking more than half of its shots, No. 3 North Carolina still sees room for improvement. Careless ball handling and risky passes led to an uncharacteristic 20 UNC turnovers, and coach Roy Williams said this was one of the downsides in an otherwise fundamentally sound performance.
"That's the thing I'm probably more disappointed about than anything," he said. "That 17 assists and 20 turnovers - I don't think you can have that kind of ratio and be a great team, and that's what we want to do, is be a great team."
But something great teams learn to do is pick up the slack in other areas to compensate for their struggles. Even though the Tar Heels (26-2, 11-2 in the ACC) committed some absent-minded mistakes on the offensive end, they tried to make up for them on defense by blocking five shots and nabbing 11 steals.
Wake Forest (16-9, 6-6) did not seem to have the sense of urgency on defense needed to chip away at a double-digit second half deficit, and again UNC was able to take advantage - shooting 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.
"We didn't handle the ball as well as we'd like to; we turned the ball over a lot," said junior Danny Green, who finished with 15 points. "But we were fortunate enough to hit shots."
Unforced turnovers are the hardest ones to stomach and cause the most concern for North Carolina. When point guard Ty Lawson was sidelined with an ankle injury, it remained to be seen if backup Quentin Thomas would be able to keep his ball handling under control.
He has since quieted his critics and now is ranked second in ACC play in assist/turnover ratio - behind Duke's Greg Paulus - with a 2.04 ratio.
"That's just great senior leadership right there," said junior Marcus Ginyard, who tallied a team-high six turnovers on the night.
"To be leading by example without having to say anything, taking care of the ball and making good decisions - that's something that's very important to this team."
While UNC was able to escape with a sizeable win Sunday despite seeing sloppy mistakes pile up in the turnover category, there will not be much room for error once conference play comes to an end.
"As we get deeper into March, the teams are going to be more talented, and even beyond that, they're going to be playing better basketball," Ginyard said.
"These teams are going to be able to capitalize on the opportunities we give them turning the ball over, so it's definitely a big deal to take care of the ball more."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/25/08 5:00am)
Photos from the game
It seems to be just what North Carolina has come to expect.
Whenever time is winding down - and there is big-play potential - the ball seems to end up in the hands of sophomore guard Wayne Ellington.
Luckily for the No. 3 Tar Heels, he has been able to come through - just as he did with 3.3 seconds remaining in the first half against Wake Forest.
(02/18/08 5:00am)
Photos from the game.
Virginia Tech might have thought it was going to encounter a battered and bruised No. 5 North Carolina squad.
And while this might have been true, it certainly did not show - as evidenced by the Tar Heels' 92-53 victory Saturday afternoon at the Smith Center.
"We had some really good things happen for us; we were more aggressive defensively," UNC coach Roy Williams said.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
It has been a rough week of conference play for both No. 5 North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
And for the Tar Heel guards especially, things could continue to shape up that way Saturday.
That's because the assignment of containing Hokie sharpshooter A.D. Vassallo won't be an easy one.
Coming off a season-high 24 points in a 3-point loss to Miami last weekend, Vassallo is a threat from all over the court. He ranks third in the conference, shooting almost 41 percent from behind the arc.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
After Saturday afternoon's matchup against Virginia Tech, North Carolina head coach Roy Williams and his team can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
In the past four games, the Tar Heels (24-2, 9-2 in the ACC) have had to grapple with injuries to several different players, a loss to cross-town rival Duke, two overtime victories and a one-point scare by Virginia.
So a 92-53 dismantling must have seemed like a walk in the park.
"Today was one of those days that so many things did go well for us," Williams said. "They did miss some shots that they would normally make . but we played well."
Junior Marcus Ginyard was hampered by a right ankle sprain and turf toe on his left foot, forward Tyler Hansbrough just had his toenail removed, sixth man Danny Green was battling the flu and Deon Thompson was questionable due to a hyper-extended left knee.
But that wasn't enough to slow down No. 5 North Carolina one bit.
All four still suited up, and UNC rolled past Virginia Tech (14-11, 5-6) in its most impressive ACC victory of the season.
"Overall I think some guys stepped up and just made plays," Hansbrough said. "It just gave a lot of guys some confidence."
Certainly not conducive to the Hokies' effort was the fact that they only shot 25.9 percent from the field - in both halves. The Tar Heels, however, sunk half of their attempts, shooting an even 50 percent on the day.
And with the game already out of reach, North Carolina was able to bring the crowd to its feet one last time before the reserves would hit the floor.
Junior Mike Copeland proved himself on the defensive end with two back-to-back blocks - the latter would lead to a dunk by Alex Stepheson, who finished the game with a career-high 11 points. Moments later, guard Wayne Ellington buried a three from the right side, and with almost 4:30 left in the game, the Tar Heels could just coast to the end.
"The last couple games we have been coming up down," Stepheson said. "So we just wanted to come out today and really prove to ourselves that we can get the jump on the other team - instead of them getting the jump on us for a change."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/29/07 5:00am)
COLUMBUS, Ohio - North Carolina had yet to experience an exuberant opposing crowd this season, but all that changed when the Tar Heels walked into Value City Arena on Wednesday night to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The lights went out, spotlights were shining, red glowsticks illuminated the stadium and the Ohio State fans got loud - and this was just for the starting lineups.
And the fans in red and white had much to cheer about, but in the end, the Buckeyes were not able to hold off the No. 1 Tar Heels, as UNC prevailed 66-55.
"We feel very fortunate," head coach Roy Williams said. "Our kids feel awfully good in that locker room, and I feel they should feel that way . I was really pleased with our competitiveness."
The game was part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, and it was probably a little bit more of a challenge than North Carolina (6-0) was expecting.
"Ohio State has won 27 in a row in this building, and the crowd was good for them," Williams said. "It was a game where neither one of us there for a while felt like we were making any shots."
Before the game, the Buckeyes (4-2) had won six of its last seven games against teams ranked in the top slot, and they were looking to make it one more.
Jon Diebler provided much of the headache North Carolina experienced in the first half. He had 12 points - all of which came on 3-pointers.
And with the final seconds of the opening period ticking away, the 6-foot-6 freshman broke the Tar Heels' spirits by connecting on a bank shot 3-pointer off the glass as the buzzer sounded.
"We knew he was a shooter, and he hit some big time shots for them in the first half," UNC guard Bobby Frasor said. "I think we tried to do a little bit better job on him in the second half, but he's a good player."
Forward Tyler Hansbrough finished the game with 13 points, but he was having trouble finding open looks with 7-foot freshman Kosta Koufos disrupting him down low.
Shooting threat Wayne Ellington once again led the Tar Heel attack with a career-high 23 points and drilled two clutch shots with about three minutes to play to keep North Carolina up for good.
"I got the ball, and I wanted to do something with it," Ellington said. "The ball is just coming my way, and I'm just feeling it and knocking down shots."
For the second straight game, the Tar Heels were without sophomore point guard Ty Lawson, still out with a right ankle sprain. His 10.6 points and 4.6 assists per game were sorely missed, but junior Marcus Ginyard said he is confident that the team is going to continue to perform at a high level with him on the bench.
"We are losing a little bit with Tywon, so it's a little different feel out there on the court," Ginyard said.
In the end, the victory was anything but clean. But the Tar Heels weren't complaining.
"Pulling through a win where it wasn't so pretty we just really feel like we did a good job toughing it out, and just taking a win for a win," Ginyard said. "We are getting better as a team and gaining that confidence on the road."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/26/07 5:00am)
View a photo slideshow of the game.
Throughout the course of the season, the Tar Heels have struggled to put a consistent running game together. But Saturday afternoon with ACC rival Duke in town, freshman Greg Little took matters into his own hands.
(11/26/07 5:00am)
View a photo slideshow of the game.
Also read "Tar Heels get a Little boost."
Saturday was the last time the seniors on the North Carolina football team would ever storm through the tunnel before the game, as the band played and the crowd was on its feet.
(11/13/07 5:00am)
With a 31-27 loss against cross-town rival N.C. State this weekend, North Carolina is no longer bowl eligible in head coach Butch Davis' first season. However, that does not mean the season is over.
UNC (3-7, 2-4 in the ACC) will travel to Atlanta on Saturday to go head-to-head with a Georgia Tech (6-4, 3-4) team that has seen time in the national polls throughout the year. With only two games remaining on the schedule, the Tar Heels will play for more than just a victory - they'll be playing for pride.
A running struggle
(10/29/07 4:00am)
WINSTON-SALEM - After a bye last weekend, North Carolina expected to come out looking revived and ready for a Wake Forest team that has been barreling through the competition.
But this was not the case - a turnover on the first play of the game set the stage for how the rest of the afternoon would unfold, as the Demon Deacons dismantled UNC 37-10 Saturday in Winston-Salem.
Quarterback T.J. Yates stepped back in the pocket and looked downfield, where he was hoping to find wide receiver Brandon Tate. But Wake's Aaron Curry read the pass and stepped in for the interception, which later led to a field goal.
"That first play of the game for us kind of set the tone, and we just went downhill from there because that just kills it," Yates said. "If we're trying to get momentum and start the game off quick, throwing an interception like that is not going to help the team get on track."
While North Carolina (2-6, 1-3 ACC) was having difficulties finding a rhythm on offense, the Demon Deacons (6-2, 4-1) scored on their first three possessions. UNC was finally able to get on the board just more than a minute into the second quarter after Connor Barth kicked a 38-yard field goal, but Wake would answer just 12 seconds later.
Kick returner Kevin Marion found the end zone after a 98-yard return - the second-longest in school history - to put the Demon Deacons up 17-3. Marion also had an 83-yard return in the fourth quarter that set up a touchdown run on the next play.
Head coach Butch Davis said the UNC coverage units have to find a way to limit those plays, which alter the field position game.
"We continually keep putting our defense on the field, if not scoring points, at least setting up the opportunity to score points," head coach Butch Davis said.
"And that's something that's got to stop. It just puts way too much pressure on your defense."
UNC finished the game with 313 total yards - compared to Wake's 269 - but were never able to establish the running game. Only 77 of the team's total yards were rushing gains, and in the second half, it seemed as if North Carolina had almost abandoned the run completely.
"In all three aspects of the game, we didn't do good at all," said senior defensive end Hilee Taylor, who recorded a sack. "This is the worst game we've played."
But UNC did eventually manage to cross the goal line. Down 23-3 nearing the end of the third quarter with the ball on the Tar Heels' 21-yard line, Yates found three different receivers to march 45 yards downfield before the end of the quarter.
After a crossing pass to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and a 12-yard rush by freshman Johnny White to start the fourth quarter, Yates connected with fullback Bobby Rome for the score, but the touchdown was just too little, too late.
"This isn't the way we wanted to come out after a bye week," Nicks said. "They just came at us today, and we didn't meet up to our expectations."
After matching its worst loss of the season - a 37-10 defeat against South Florida - North Carolina can only look ahead to the rest of the schedule. With four games remaining, UNC will need to win them all in order to stay bowl eligible, which is something Taylor thinks still can be accomplished.
"There's no turning back now. I mean, it's all or nothing," he said. "We got four games left. As seniors, these are our last four, maybe in our life . I promise you we're gonna do better."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/26/07 4:00am)
Game and Time: North Carolina at Wake Forest. Kickoff is at noon Saturday.
Site: Groves Stadium
TV/Radio: Saturday's game will be televised by Lincoln Financial-Raycom Network. Radio coverage will be provided by the Tar Heels Sports Radio Network.
Records: North Carolina is 2-5, and Wake Forest is 5-2.
Series: This will be the 103rd meeting between these teams, with North Carolina leading the series 67-33-2. The teams last met in 2006, when Wake Forest won 24-17 in Chapel Hill.
The Key Matchup: North Carolina's pass offense against the Wake Forest pass defense.
While the Demon Deacons will be looking to extend their win streak to six games, the Tar Heels will be trying to get one started. To make this happen, North Carolina is going to need to see success airing the ball out.
Wake Forest has given up an average of 223 yards passing per game, so the Tar Heels should be looking to capitalize in this area, as they are averaging 240 yards passing.
Redshirt freshman quarterback T.J. Yates has a vast arsenal to work with downfield in Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate and Brooks Foster. Nicks leads the team with 39 receptions and three touchdowns on the year and somehow always seems to come up big when the Tar Heels are in need of an offensive boost.
Although Wake Forest ranks 10th in the conference in pass defense, it has managed to snag 11 interceptions on the year, which is second only to Boston College's 18.
Yates will need to find a good rhythm early and stay consistent in order to keep the Wake defenders at bay. Finding receivers downfield also will keep the clock running and UNC's defense on the sidelines longer, allowing them to rest up for an explosive Wake Forest offense that is sure to put up some big numbers.
Final Analysis/Prediction: Having just come off a bye week, the last thing North Carolina needs is to start off sluggish at the beginning of the game. Wake Forest, on the other hand, is coming off a big 44-24 win against Navy last weekend and a 24-21 upset against Florida State the week before in Winston-Salem.
The Tar Heels will need to be running on all cylinders to put themselves in a position to win. The Screamin' Deacons also will be doing their part to get in the heads of the North Carolina players, so the Tar Heels will have to stay extra focused on their assignments.
The Bottom Line: North Carolina 17, Wake Forest 31
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu
(09/18/07 4:00am)
North Carolina has now lost its past two games by an average of 2.5 points and taken both contests down to the wire.
Looking to turn it around on the road, the Tar Heels won't expect things to get any easier as they travel to face No. 23 South Florida on Saturday.
The Bulls (2-0) had a bye this weekend but came out firing the week before, handing then-No. 17 Auburn a disappointing 26-23 overtime loss at home. North Carolina head coach Butch Davis said he is looking forward to the test USF will present because it will give the team a chance to work on aspects that have been problematic.
"This will be a big challenge," Davis said. "For us to become a better football team, we've got to make some strides and improve in some of the areas that have been issues for us."
Some of these issues include tackling and swarming the opponent. Against both East Carolina and Virginia, UNC (1-2, 0-1 ACC) gave up about 100 yards after contact was made.
Junior Cedric Peerman ran all over North Carolina on Saturday, rushing for 186 yards in Virginia's 22-20 victory. That was triple the amount the entire UNC squad earned, which was a dismal 60 yards.
"We've got to do a better job in run defense, and that starts with the tackling aspect of it," Davis said. "We've got to play in kind of a more of a gang-tackling, swarming-type defensive mentality to try to get more guys to limit some of the run after the catch and run after contact."
The Tar Heels will also be trying to get their own running game off the ground. Not only would a successful run game take pressure off the passing game to perform well, it would also allow for the offense to maintain control of the ball longer.
Fortunately for North Carolina, redshirt freshman quarterback T.J. Yates has been able to scramble and come up with some yardage when the play appears to be heading south. And while it's comforting to know playmakers like Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate are on the field, junior offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds said others need to get involved.
"We've got guys ... that can keep us in the game if something does go wrong," Reynolds said. "But you can't always rely on those guys, so that's why we've got to get the running game going and keep the defense off the field."
South Florida has already managed to put up solid rushing numbers in only two games. The Bulls have outrushed UNC by 31 yards - 270 to 239 - and have played one fewer game, so North Carolina will have its hands full once again.
But Reynolds said he is confident the Tar Heels can rush for impressive numbers, too.
"It's there - we've seen on films we've watched after games, it's there," Reynolds said. "We're that close to just having them break away, so we're just going to keep working and hold off those blocks."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/17/07 4:00am)
View the slideshow
With 3:30 left in the fourth quarter, North Carolina had the ball on the 15-yard line. With 85 yards of territory looming ahead and the Tar Heels trailing 22-14, redshirt freshman quarterback T.J. Yates led the team up the field in impressive fashion. Completion after completion found UNC with a first-and-goal on the 2-yard line.
(04/16/07 4:00am)
The North Carolina women's tennis team needed only two and a half hours and three singles matches to dismantle its arch-rival at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Tar Heels (20-7, 8-3 in the ACC), swept the Blue Devils 4-0. The match was called to allow players more rest leading up to this weekend's
ACC Tournament after UNC clinched victory with the fourth point.
"We couldn't be going into this tournament with any more confidence than we are," coach Brian Kalbas said. "I don't care what the records are, Duke is a very good team.
"I think we're really gelling at the right time, so we're looking to really put ourselves in a position to win an ACC Championship, so we're excited to do that."
On a Senior Day that was filled with much emotion, the No. 11 Tar Heels did not disappoint. Seniors Sara Anundsen and Jenna Long won their doubles match 8-1, and sophomores Austin Smith and Meg Fanjoy swept their opponents 8-0 to win the first point of the day.
"We had the momentum in doubles, and all the way down the line, one through six, it was like, 'We have it, lets keep it,' and the atmosphere was exciting, and everyone was pumped up," said senior Caitlin Collins, who was honored before the match along with Anundsen and Long in the team's last regular-season match.
North Carolina used that momentum to claim the victory by winning three singles matches in straight sets.
The No. 18 Blue Devils (10-9, 5-6 ACC), weren't able to get their act together, as Sanaz Marand easily won, 6-1, 6-3; Long was victorious, 6-1, 6-4; and Anundsen clinched the match, 6-3, 6-4.
"It was really exciting," said Marand, who, as a freshman, experienced her first Duke matchup Sunday.
"It was very good for the seniors, and also playing for yourself, it was a lot of fun."
Not only were the Tar Heels able to enjoy themselves throughout the matchup, but they also can rest easy knowing they have secured the third seed in the ACC Tournament and a first-round bye.
The Tar Heels still will have their work cut out for them, though. The only teams ranked higher than UNC in the tournament are Clemson and Georgia Tech, both of which dealt UNC losses in conference play.
Georgia Tech has proven especially hard to handle for UNC. The Yellow Jackets handed the Tar Heels 4-3 losses at a tournament in February and during the ACC regular season at the end of March.
But North Carolina's first postseason test will come Friday when the Tar Heels could face No. 19 Wake Forest - the only other conference team to beat UNC.
"We have some unfinished business with Wake," Collins said.
"I think that we'd all like to play Wake again just because we're in a good position right now and we're all playing really well."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(04/13/07 4:00am)
Not only do sophomores Meg Fanjoy and Austin Smith spend a lot of time together being doubles partners on the No. 11 North Carolina women's tennis team, but they are also roommates and best friends.
A stroke of luck is what brought the two together. Fanjoy moved from Statesville to attend the Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, S.C., but she eventually switched to the nearby Smith Stearns Tennis Academy.
Housing was not yet available for the new academy, and Fanjoy's family was still living in Statesville, so Smith's family - who owns the academy - took her in.
"My coach left Van Der Meer and started the academy with (Smith's) dad, and there wasn't housing yet for that, so I was living with them until there was housing," Fanjoy said. "But I just stayed; I never moved out."
After living together, Fanjoy and Smith began playing doubles when they were sophomores in high school. By their senior year, they were ranked No. 1 in the country.
And four years later, the two are still pairing up on the court.
"Their styles complement each other well," UNC coach Brian Kalbas said. "When one of them is struggling, each of them can pick each other up."
Smith said having played together for so long works to their advantage because they know just how the other one plays.
"You can have two really good tennis players playing doubles together, but if they don't know the strengths and weaknesses of the other player, it doesn't matter," Smith said.
The duo also attended Heritage Academy together, which allowed students to miss school frequently to pursue a particular passion. It was the perfect place for Fanjoy and Smith because tennis tournaments kept them on the road a lot.
Both grew up in tennis-oriented families, so tennis has always been a part of their lives. Fanjoy's older sister plays at a D-III school, and her younger brother plays in high school. Smith has two older brothers and a sister, all of whom have played tennis at the collegiate level, as well.
Her father, Stan, was at one time the No. 1-ranked player in the world and won multiple Grand Slam events in both singles and doubles play.
Smith's oldest brother, Ramsey, was also Smith and Fanjoy's doubles coach after he graduated from Duke in 2001. He traveled with the pair for almost two years and is now an assistant men's tennis coach at his alma mater.
"I was a travel coach and got to work with them for quite a bit," Ramsey Smith said. "I got to spend a lot of time with Austin, and I got to share some of my tennis knowledge with her."
Fanjoy and Smith have worked hard on playing more aggressively this year. They are now 15-7, and their latest victory came Thursday at N.C. State in a 5-2 UNC win.
"Austin is kind of the power player, and she hits the ball pretty hard," Ramsey Smith said. "A good doubles team has to combine different strengths, and they do. Meg has really good hands, plays around the net; and she'll make every return."
This year's squad has a lot of depth, and as of late, Kalbas has experimented with different lineups to achieve the right balance.
"We needed to see different combinations and see what our options were," he said. "Meg and Austin always been a really good team, but they struggled a little bit early in the season, but I think they're back."
And they'll need to be at the top of their game when Duke comes to town Sunday afternoon for UNC's last regular-season match. But even if things don't go as expected, Fanjoy and Smith will have each other to fall back on - on and off the court.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
ATTEND THE DUKE MATCH
Time: 1 p.m. Sunday
Location: Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center
Info: www.tarheelblue.com
(03/19/07 4:00am)
While the rest of the UNC student body was enjoying the last weekend of Spring Break, the UNC baseball team was gearing up for a grueling series against Virginia. Mother Nature had other plans, however, giving both teams a break Friday night, as rain canceled the first game. But Saturday and Sunday were a different story. The sun came out shining at Boshamer Stadium - and so did UVa.
The No. 7 Cavaliers (19-4, 3-3 ACC), won an 11-inning battle 7-2 Saturday evening, and the teams split a doubleheader on Sunday with Virginia winning the second game 9-6 and UNC (18-3, 4-2) taking the third game 9-4.
Going into the 11th Saturday, the score was tied 2-2, but North Carolina gave up five runs to put the game out of reach, thanks to UVa.'s impressive hitting and some errors from multiple UNC centerfielders.
"We didn't make great pitches; they don't strikeout a whole lot; and they're a good offensive club," coach Mike Fox said.
The Tar Heels were looking to rebound Sunday and still win the series, but the Cavaliers were not going to make that an easy task.
"If you get swept in this league, it's tough to come back, so we knew we had to win," said first baseman Dustin Ackley, who went 6-for-9 from the plate on Sunday and 10-13 during the series.
Through five innings in game one of the doubleheader, UNC was up 5-3, but UVa. changed all that in the top of the sixth.
Four hits, three stolen bases, and one UNC error later, the Cavaliers were able to tack four more runs on the board and regain the lead 7-5 - and they never looked back.
Throughout the third game, the sun began to set behind right field and the Avery residence hall, but North Carolina was not ready to call it a night just yet.
"Our coaches told us we competed well today, so to do the same thing in the next game and get a win," catcher Benji Johnson said.
UNC played a consistent game the entire way through. The Tar Heels committed no errors and smacked 13 base hits.
Three of those hits came in the bottom of the fifth inning. Leading 4-2, the Tar Heels scored five runs on their way to the win.
Shortstop Josh Horton was walked to lead off the inning followed by a base hit by Tim Federowicz. Horton scored the first run of the inning on a hit by Ackley. Johnson then was walked, which loaded the bases.
Another walk, a hit and a wild pitch brought in four more runs for the Tar Heels.
The Cavaliers finally were able to end the inning - but not without finding themselves in a sizeable hole, down 9-2.
"That was big for us because we lost two straight, and then you get down in the first inning, so that boosts your confidence a lot," Johnson said.
The Tar Heels were able to hold on to the win - and hold off the sweep - showing Virginia they still had some fight left in them.
"We hit the ball a whole lot better today, and it's just a big boost going into next week," Ackley said.
North Carolina will need to keep on its toes because the sun will only set once more before its meeting with Towson on Tuesday afternoon, and Fox said he thinks the team will be ready.
"We played (29) innings in 27 hours," Fox said. "These kids are young, they should be able to do it."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/28/07 5:00am)
It's time to unroll that red carpet. The Academy Awards are here! Wait, they were on Sunday? No, no, my Academy Awards.
Sure, Ellen DeGeneres did a superb job as the host of the most prestigious awards show there is. But now it's my turn. And I'm going to skip right past the nominees and just go straight to the victors.
Hey, these are my awards, remember?
"The Departed" won four awards - rightfully so some would argue - and "Little Miss Sunshine" snagged a few gold statues, too. But I didn't see any Tar Heels on the list. That's all about to change.
Here are my picks for the 2007 Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice Awards:
Tyler Hansbrough, men's basketball - Best Actor in a Leading Role
Twelve times this season, the sophomore forward from Missouri has led the team in both scoring and rebounding. Hansbrough burns opponents for 18.7 points a game and pulls in 7.6 rebounds a game. UNC fans hope he is saving his best performances for the final scenes, however, as the Tar Heels will need big games from the big man if they are going to see success in March and April.
Ivory Latta, women's basketball - Best Actress in a Leading Role
Not only do the senior's on-court antics leave opposing point guards stuck on their heels, they are also able to fire up the crowds at Carmichael Auditorium. Latta was recently named to the All-ACC first team, something she has accomplished the previous two years as well. She is averaging 16.2 points a game so far this season and boasts the best 3-point percentage on the team. It should come as no surprise that the rest of the ACC is ready for her to go.
Robert Woodard, baseball - Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Woodard earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2006, making 17 starts and pitching a career-high 107.2 innings. He pitched his second career complete game against No. 1 Florida State and also blanked No. 2 Clemson in the College World Series with a three-hitter. Now that superstar pitchers Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard, who overshadowed him for much of last season, have made the leap to professional baseball, Woodard can try to take Tyler's statue for next year.
Elizabeth Guess, women's soccer - Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Playing with national standout Heather O'Reilly, this senior scored the game-winning overtime goal for the Tar Heels in the ACC championship game and was named tournament MVP. Guess also came up huge for the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament that saw UNC return to College Cup for the first time since 2003. She scored five goals in the postseason, two of which were game winners.
Anson Dorrance, women's soccer - Best Director
The coach has led the Tar Heels to 18 of the 25 NCAA championships in women's soccer history. The team took a two-year hiatus from its winning ways, but after rolling past Notre Dame 2-1 in the College Cup hosted in Cary, Dorrance and Co. were able to celebrate once again. With such a young team, North Carolina could very well find itself champions for awhile.
The nominees were countless, but you know what they say, there can only be one winner. And as long as there are Choo-Choos to hand out, the show will go on. Good luck next year everyone.
Contact Nicole Lukosius at lukosius@email.unc.edu.
(02/20/07 5:00am)
Playing two matches in three days is all in a weekend's work for the North Carolina women's tennis team - two matches against top-10 teams, that is.
The No. 7 Tar Heels (10-3) faced No. 2 Notre Dame (9-1) in South Bend, Ind., on Friday but came up short, losing the contest 5-2. A roster shuffle was necessary because senior Jenna Long, the team's top seed, was not able to attend the match because of the flu. Sophomore Laura Reichert would have been the likely replacement into the lineup at the six seed, but she also was stricken with illness.
Because Long was out, senior Sara Anundsen found herself paired with freshman Katrina Tsang in doubles play for the first time.
UNC was able to win the doubles point, which was something positive coach Brian Kalbas said the team could take away from the match.
"Losing two of our top-seven players puts us at a disadvantage," he said. "Notre Dame didn't lose a doubles point at all last year."
"Sara and Katrina beat the No. 5 doubles team in the nation, so that's pretty good for a team that has never played together before."
The doubles point made all the difference against No. 6 Northwestern (6-3) on Sunday, as the Tar Heels traveled to neighboring Illinois for their second matchup.
North Carolina took the match 4-3, splitting the singles matches with the Wildcats.
The top-three matches were all won by Northwestern, so it was the performances of the bottom half of the lineup that were so important.
"Caitlin (Collins) played unbelievable. It gave us so much momentum for her to get off the court first," Kalbas said.
"Sanaz (Marand) and Sara won within almost seconds of each other, which was pretty exciting, and they had to sustain kind of a late rally by their opponents."
Competing against high-ranking teams early in the season is something the Tar Heels have done a lot of, and Tsang thinks this will better prepare the team for tougher competition down the road.
"I think we have as good of a shot as any other team to be right up there," she said.
"In the NCAAs and the ACCs, we want to play the best team there is because you're not the best unless you beat the best."
UNC looks to build on the win at Northwestern and will next take to the court Wednesday afternoon when it faces Virginia Tech in its ACC season-opener in Chapel Hill.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/30/07 5:00am)
Heading down south did not turn out the way the North Carolina women's tennis team would have liked, as they fell to No. 2 Florida 4-3 Sunday afternoon at the Ring Tennis Complex. Coach Brian Kalbas hopes heading in the opposite direction will result in a better outcome. The Tar Heels will leave Tuesday for Madison, Wis., to join 15 other teams at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. Kalbas said he told his players that he was pleased with the effort they put forth against Florida. He also said the match in Gainesville will be a great learning experience for the entire team. "We've put ourselves in a position, if we can learn from it, to really have a special season," Kalbas said. "We've got good senior leadership, and we've got talented players down the line." The Tar Heels have been solid all season securing the doubles point, but the Gators' relentless attack led to a quick 1-0 lead, and ultimately, the deciding point. UNC seniors Jenna Long and Sara Anundsen, ranked No. 16 in the nation, won their doubles match 8-1 against the No. 14 team of Whitney Benik and Nina Suvak, but the Gators took the other two doubles contests 9-7 and 9-8 (3). "Winning that doubles point is a huge momentum for the team that gets it," Anundsen said. "I don't think our team played the best tennis we could have played." Long, who was named the ACC women's tennis player of the week Monday, defeated No. 11 Diana Srebrovic in singles play. Anundsen and Austin Smith also won singles matches for UNC, but the team came up a point short and failed to duplicate last season's exciting victory against the Gators. North Carolina won't have much time to regroup because it will face a large pool of qualified competitors throughout the weekend. All but two teams are ranked in the top 20. "The fact that we lost 4-3 and we weren't playing our best tennis is something we can take positively from the match," Anundsen said. "We're playing all these top-20 teams, so that gives us a lot of confidence." UNC will compete next at 10 a.m. Thursday against No. 16 Texas Christian University. The Tar Heels will be able to get in two practices on Wednesday, and Kalbas said the close match against Florida gives UNC an advantage. "Having dealt with pressure situations against a really good team, that is really going to help us in this tournament." Fencing struggles at Penn State Duals over weekend The fencing team reached the midway point of its season on Saturday, when it struggled to a 2-7 finish against a very competitive field at the Penn State Duals. The men finished 1-3, while the women went 1-4. Both teams notched their only win against Drew University. The Duals drew some of the toughest teams in the nation. Both teams faced Ohio State, Penn and St. John's, all of whom regularly appear in the top 10 in the nation. The women's team also competed against Temple. "We fenced some of the hardest competition all year," freshman Jennifer Sawicki said. "We really rallied and fought to the last bouts." Sawicki finished with a 7-7 record for the weekend. Each of these opponents have a distinct recruiting advantage over UNC's program because their athletic programs offer fencing scholarships. North Carolina's team is predominantly walk-ons. According to assistant coach Josh Webb, it was close bouts and a lack of focus that troubled the Tar Heels at Penn State. "If you look at just wins and losses, we didn't do that great," he said. "If you look at how we actually competed, it was much better." There were a lot of 5-4 bouts lost that could have gone either way and wound up costing UNC in the end, Webb said. Senior Joe Pipkin finished with the Tar Heels' best record at 6-2. Sophomore Bobby Ziechmann and senior captain Courtney Krolikoski also turned in near-.500 records. With half of the season under its belt, the team will treat this as a wake-up call and look to build off of it in the second half of competition. "We need to be more assertive in how we control bouts," senior captain Mike Burkhart said. "We need to not fence into their game and take control ourselves." The next time the Tar Heels fence will be this weekend in the UCSD Duals in San Diego, which will feature opponents such as Stanford, Air Force, and host UC-San Diego. "We definitely have the talent and drive," Sawicki said. "Now we should start peaking and making it all come together." Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.