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(03/31/08 4:00am)
NEW ORLEANS - When Erlana Larkins talked with her teammates earlier this season about the possibility of playing Louisiana State in the New Orleans Regional, she was joking around.
But then the brackets were announced, and it wasn't a joke anymore.
Tonight, that possibility will become a reality when North Carolina takes on LSU in its home state with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
It's not the Lady Tigers' home court, but UNC did see a lot of purple and gold the other day.
Not that hostile environments are anything new - UNC played at Connecticut, Tennessee and Duke this season.
"We've played in some tough places this year," coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "Hopefully that's prepared us for how it will be tomorrow. . Build a glass wall around the court and play Carolina basketball - that's what our goal is tomorrow."
Both teams have previously played on this kind of stage. North Carolina is fighting for the chance to play in its third straight Final Four, and it would be the fifth consecutive trip for the Lady Tigers.
But one player who has been instrumental in keeping the Tar Heels in NCAA success and who could push them to the next game is totally green to the Elite Eight.
Freshman Cetera DeGraffenreid assumed control of the point when Alex Miller suffered a season-ending knee injury, and she hasn't stopped running since.
"When Alex went out, we were a little, not worried, but how would she transition into playing more minutes and kind of being the floor general for us," senior LaToya Pringle said.
"But it was a very easy transition.
"As far as coming in and playing and fitting well, she didn't have any trouble with that at all."
DeGraffenreid's speed blends perfectly with the Tar Heels' fast-paced offense. Hatchell said that her point guard was ready to dish out assists from the start but that she's become a bigger threat as she's grown more confident in her shooting.
Heading into tonight's matchup, DeGraffenreid is averaging 11.8 points per game. She'll need to deliver that same kind of production to take down Quianna Chaney and LSU's experienced backcourt, which is filled with seniors.
But the biggest obstacle standing in the way of North Carolina's road to the Final Four comes in the form of 6-foot-6-inch SEC player of the year Sylvia Fowles.
"She's a great player. Not only with her size, but she's so athletic," Hatchell said.
"Her feet are good. Her hands are good. And she's so mobile in there."
Larkins and Pringle will have their hands full down low, but the Tar Heels are hungry to get back to the round of four, no matter what they have to face to get there.
"I think all games from here on out, it's going to be a challenge, and it's not going to be easy," McCants said.
"So we're going to have to just bring our intensity and play hard, or we're going to go home. We don't want that."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/31/08 4:00am)
Slideshow: Tar Heel women in Elite company
NEW ORLEANS - As LaToya Pringle stood at the free throw line with 26 seconds left to play Saturday, the scene was all too familiar.
She had worked her way to the same spot 27 seconds earlier with a chance to build on a five-point lead, only to watch both attempts clang off the rim. This trip to the line did have one difference, though. This time Louisville had cut the deficit to two.
(02/29/08 5:00am)
Meghan Austin has walked through Carmichael Auditorium countless times during her career on the North Carolina women's basketball team. But Sunday she'll take center stage - well, center court.
Austin will be honored, alongside fellow seniors LaToya Pringle and Erlana Larkins during the Tar Heels' final regular-season home game against Duke.
And she's certainly worked to get there.
After walking on to the UNC squad as a transfer from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, NCAA regulations forced Austin to sit out a year. An ACL tear her junior season sidelined her again, and Austin endured almost nine months of rehab so she could play again.
For four years she's juggled classes, practices and road trips with the team - all for the chance to play a few minutes at ends of blowouts.
But when Austin makes her first career start Sunday, it will be worth the time and effort.
"If I had to do it all over again, I would totally do it," Austin said. "Just being here just fills me up inside. . Everyone always wants to be at the highest level, so I dreamed about it, but I never thought it would be possible."
It only took a year for Austin to realize Lafayette wasn't the right fit. She wanted to be closer to her home in Lynchburg, Va., and the constant sheet of snow covering the ground didn't help matters.
A hometown coach put Austin in touch with Tracey Williams-Johnson, an assistant coach and director of recruiting for the Tar Heels. Williams-Johnson told Austin she could join the team as a walk-on if she was accepted by UNC.
That was all she needed to hear. She was in Chapel Hill the next fall.
"At first I was really intimidated," she said. "You have all these All-Americans and these great players. Nobody knew me."
Austin said she knew she wouldn't be a star, but the experience was more important. She thinks of her role as being encouraging and enthusiastic, and she wouldn't trade it for more playing time at any other school.
Her first couple years as a Tar Heel were relatively healthy - relative for Austin meaning a surgery on her finger and a concussion that forced her to sit out two games. But her junior season was cut short when Austin tore her ACL in January 2007.
"Every time Meghan would take a step forward with her basketball, she would take a step back with an injury," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "She's learned to persevere because she's had to go through a lot."
But Austin had reasons to stay motivated during a tough rehab schedule, in which she even had to relearn to walk. She said her first day back on the court was like being a kid in a candy store.
When she graduates, she hopes to work as a coach, and she's already gotten some practice.
"I give her a lot of coaching responsibilities, like picking up signals of the other team," Hatchell said. "I'll have her talk to her teammates because she knows what to say and how to say it."
After three ACC Tournament titles and two trips to the Final Four, Austin has one more chance to take home an NCAA title. While she said it hasn't completely hit her yet, she knows it won't be easy to see her UNC career come to an end.
"I feel like I'm going to get really emotional - hopefully not Sunday," Austin said, laughing. "But if Erlana starts crying on Sunday, I know I will, too."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/28/08 5:00am)
LaToya Pringle played with reckless abandon against a talented Maryland team Saturday, and she's got the marks on her uniform to prove it.
After taking a hit to the face that cut her upper lip, the North Carolina senior forward had to trade out her blood-stained No. 30 jersey for a nameless No. 55.
She might want to consider a permanent switch.
Pringle racked up a career-high 31 points to lead the No. 3 Tar Heels past the No. 4 Terrapins, and she was UNC's go-to player in the final minutes.
"I got a lot of offensive rebounds, got put backs," Pringle said. "Down the stretch they wanted the ball in my hands because I've been in pressure situations, and I'm an OK foul shooter."
She wasn't just OK on Saturday. In fact, Pringle was perfect in the last 58 seconds, making all six of her attempts from the stripe to add to her 12 points in the second overtime period.
And when the Tar Heels trailed 71-68 with less than a minute remaining in regulation, senior forward Erlana Larkins found Pringle open under the basket for a bucket and a foul. The ensuing free throw swished through the net to send the game into an extra period.
"She was always in the right place at the right time," Larkins said of Pringle. "Looking at her from freshman year up until now, she's grown a lot. I just think that she's also grown into that leadership role."
After a disappointing loss to top-ranked Connecticut on Monday, Pringle became more vocal at practice throughout the week. She and Larkins pushed their teammates, and Pringle said they didn't let many things slide.
The sloppy final five minutes against the Huskies dimmed the glow of her 20-point performance and a nearly flawless first half from UNC.
"We took it upon ourselves, especially me and Erlana, to be harder on our team, to make them compete, to make them better in practice so they could be better in games," Pringle said. "Because we knew that we lost just because we didn't compete, and we didn't play smart at the end."
North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell called the two seniors her "warriors" and the real leaders of the team.
The Tar Heels have learned that 35 minutes of great basketball doesn't guarantee a win, and Hatchell stressed the importance of delivering a complete performance against an experienced Terrapin team.
"We really worked on being more mentally tough and our decision-making," she said.
Pringle led the team in scoring with 10 at the end of the first half, but Hatchell was disappointed with a different aspect of her game.
Both teams are known to crash the boards, and rebounding figured to be a key factor in the contest. But the senior had only pulled down one in the first 20 minutes.
So Pringle responded.
She fought for position down low and ended the game with nine rebounds, just shy of a double-double. She also swatted three Terrapin shots.
"(Coach Hatchell) kind of got on me, chewed me out a little bit, saying that she needs me to get the boards," Pringle said. "I just took it upon myself once we got back in the game not to let it slip away from us again."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/23/08 5:00am)
The North Carolina women's basketball team gave the No. 1 Connecticut Huskies their biggest scare of the season Monday night at Gampel Pavilion.
The 11-point halftime deficit was the largest UConn had faced all year, and the Tar Heels weren't making many mistakes.
Then things started to unravel.
On the first possession of the second half, UNC turned the ball over, and the Huskies pounced to cash in with a jumper on the other end.
Connecticut made runs, chipped away the lead, and UNC went into panic mode.
After committing only eight turnovers in the first half, North Carolina ended the game with 23.
And while North Carolina executed its offense with precision to start the game, the final minutes were plagued by rushed passes, and UConn made the Tar Heels pay for any sloppiness with 33 points off of turnovers for the game.
"We had that one spell where we had about three turnovers," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "That was pretty much the deciding factor there, down the stretch."
The defeat marked only the second loss for North Carolina this season, the other coming to then-No. 1 Tennessee in December.
The Tar Heels didn't get the result they wanted at Gampel Pavilion, but their first-half effort will give them confidence heading into the upcoming ACC schedule.
"We lost the battle, but we didn't lose the war," Hatchell said. "It's good that we played Tennessee and Connecticut and competed at their level, and we hope that it will help us win more eventually."
A balanced attack
The Tar Heels' style has been characterized by working the ball down low to senior Erlana Larkins, but they struggled to feed the ball to their All-American against UConn.
North Carolina turned to its other weapons.
Four players scored in double-figures for UNC, led by LaToya Pringle. The senior notched 20 points, driving for easy buckets down low and showing range with jumpers.
Sophomore Jessica Breland gave UNC a boost off the bench. She knocked in 12 points in 22 minutes, but more importantly she gave the Tar Heels a lift when the Huskies started to gather momentum.
North Carolina proved it has more than one dimension, and its increasing ability to get a spark from multiple players will help in the second half of the season.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/22/08 5:00am)
STORRS, Conn. - Before the No. 3 North Carolina women's basketball team took on the top-ranked Connecticut Huskies at a sold out Gampel Pavilion, UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said the Tar Heels would have to show how they could play for 40 minutes.
She was right.
For the first 20 minutes, UNC played nearly flawless basketball. The Tar Heels made shots and fought for offensive boards.
But it wasn't enough. The Huskies came out of the locker room with a burst of fire and aggression, and UNC (17-2) watched its 11-point halftime lead slip away as UConn (18-0) pulled out an 82-71 victory Monday night.
"I knew in the second half, Connecticut would come out very intense," Hatchell said. "They did and were very aggressive and very physical, and I think we let it bother us a little bit, and we don't usually do that."
The Tar Heels' defensive effort in the first half held the undefeated Huskies to 29 percent shooting from the floor, and their pressure forced 10 turnovers.
It was Connecticut's second game without shooting guard Mel Thomas, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 15, becoming the third starter the Huskies have lost this year.
But in her new role as the shooting guard, Renee Montgomery racked up 26 points, including six 3-pointers, and UConn attacked the UNC defense with a mix of shots from the perimeter, the paint and fast-break layups, shooting 46 percent in the second half. The arena exploded into cheers as Connecticut took a 48-47 lead five minutes after halftime.
And on the other end of the court, it was clear UConn had a strategy.
The Tar Heels' go-to post player, Erlana Larkins, was held to seven points and was faced with an onslaught of white jerseys every time she touched the ball.
"They did a great job of coming to double team, and we did a great job of standing," Larkins said. "I remember there were several times when I got the ball, and I couldn't find anyone open . I had to turn and throw the ball hoping someone would get it."
Senior LaToya Pringle contributed 20 points to lead the Tar Heels before fouling out, but UNC couldn't find its rhythm down low in the second half.
For a team that normally thrives off of feeding the ball inside, North Carolina spent much of the game playing around the perimeter.
"We took way too many outside shots," Hatchell said. "We should have been driving and more on those. We didn't get the ball into Erlana as much as we wanted to."
Connecticut's Tina Charles pulled down 19 rebounds of her own, adding seven blocks to create problems in the paint for North Carolina. And after going scoreless during the first half, UConn senior Charde Houston proved a large part of the difference, recording all 15 of her points during the final 20 minutes.
The Tar Heels battled to keep the game even for the last stretch, coming as close as three points off of a jumper by Pringle with nearly three and a half minutes remaining.
But they wouldn't score again. Connecticut went on an 8-0 run to close out the game as UNC was forced to foul in the final minutes to keep any chances of a comeback alive. After fouling out in the last minute, Pringle could only watch as her team suffered its second loss this season to a top-ranked opponent.
"I think a lot of our team put our heads down when they eventually took the lead," Pringle said. "We need to learn that basketball is a game of runs, and when your opponent makes a run you have to respond."
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(01/17/08 5:00am)
ATLANTA - There are certain things the North Carolina men's basketball team is known for. The Tar Heels like to run, and with the powerful presence of Tyler Hansbrough, they tend to dominate inside play on both ends of the court.
But when UNC hit the road to take on ACC foe Georgia Tech on Wednesday night, the Yellow Jackets were ready to give the Tar Heels a taste of their own medicine.
UNC notched its first win at Alexander Memorial since 2001, but not without a fight through the final seconds from Ga. Tech.
"Great effort physically, I think by both teams," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "When balls were on the floor, guys were after it. Guys were knocking each other down but they were also picking each other up."
The home team seemed to be on a mission to prove it could keep pace with one of the fastest teams in the country. The Yellow Jacket defense constantly pressured the UNC ball handlers and forced 15 turnovers for the game for 15 points.
The Tar Heels found themselves defending against their own style.
Whenever Ga. Tech fired up a shot, the Yellow Jackets swarmed the basket. With white jerseys crowding the post, Ga. Tech pulled down 17 offensive rebounds, posting 22 points off of second chances. Hansbrough had to fight for his 11 rebounds, his 10th double-double of the season, and he has the marks to prove it.
"My face really got beat up tonight," he said "There were a lot of scrappy little plays where I got hit and bumped, and it was really, really rough."
The Yellow Jackets ran with the Tar Heels throughout the game. After one Ty Lawson layup with about eight minutes remaining, Ga. Tech used a signature North Carolina move and threw the ball down the court for a Zack Peacock dunk only three seconds later.
Junior Marcus Ginyard, one of UNC's defensive leaders, tried to get his team focused for the last part of the game
"We'd get a couple stops, and then we'd let them score a couple times," Ginyard said. "I was trying to get them in the mindset that we've got to put our foot down now, we've got to stop them for the rest of the game. We can't just let them go back and forth the entire game."
With their second close ACC victory in a span of two weeks, the Tar Heels know what needs to improve, but they can feel confident about their accomplishments.
"I just think at the right time, this team is coming up with that extra push that's putting us over the top," Ginyard said. "That just speaks about this team's heart and this team's drive."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/14/08 5:00am)
RALEIGH - The bandage covering Erlana Larkins' left hand resembled a small boxing glove, and the North Carolina senior certainly threw some punches Sunday afternoon at the Reynolds Coliseum.
They came in the form of 22 points and eight rebounds as Larkins led her team past N.C. State 79-70 in a battle of the post.
In her third game since breaking her left hand on Dec. 30, Larkins took control of the paint, banging bodies without hesitation and drawing fouls with her aggressive pushes to the basket.
"With her situation, most players would be out for the season, and she's almost got another double-double," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "I'm just really proud of her and her mentality that she has, twirling in there, working hard."
With freshman guard Rebecca Gray out because of a stress fracture in her right foot, the No. 3 Tar Heels (16-1, 3-0 ACC) had a taller lineup than usual for most of the game. UNC exploited its advantage in the post, working the ball down low on almost every possession.
LaToya Pringle, Jessica Breland and Rashanda McCants joined Larkins in the double-digits category.
"All the people in the post area, they used their pivot foot extremely well to create shot attempts," N.C. State coach Kay Yow said of North Carolina. "They go to the boards really strong, as strong as any team that I think we'll play all year."
The Tar Heels recorded only five rebounds more than the Wolfpack (12-5, 0-2), but they made those rebounds count, as UNC notched 31 second-chance points compared to N.C. State's eight.
"It was real physical - both teams have great post players," Pringle said. "I think each team was just trying to limit the touches that the big girls had."
While the Tar Heels made a conscious effort to work the ball into the paint, N.C. State seemed content to take jumpers and shoot from long range as Shayla Fields hit three 3-pointers to lead the Wolfpack with 17 points. N.C. State continued to threaten throughout the game, coming within two points with almost five minutes remaining.
But whenever the home team pulled within reach or hit a trey to fire up the red-clad crowd, the Tar Heels continued to exercise what had been effective for them all game.
"I just think we reverted back to what got us the initial lead, which was getting the ball inside," Larkins said.
When UNC visited Reynolds Coliseum last year, the Wolfpack turned out a 72-65 upset win against then-No. 2 North Carolina, but this time UNC kept up their intensity throughout and never trailed.
UNC had a response for all of the Wolfpack's runs, and Hatchell summed up the reason for her team's victory after the game.
"I was proud of my whole team," she said. "Every time State would make a run we seemed to step it up a notch and answer."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/30/07 5:00am)
The North Carolina women's basketball team knew it needed to keep the momentum building against Purdue during the last of a nine-game stint at home.
And the No. 4 Tar Heels got what they wanted as they blew past the Boilermakers 90-72 Thursday night.
UNC (9-0) will need the energy to carry through the weekend when it will face one of its toughest challenges of the season.
Thursday's game was the Tar Heels' final chance to work out the kinks before they hit the road for the first time this year on Sunday to take on No. 1 Tennessee in a hostile Thompson-Boling Arena.
Individual performances stood out in UNC's victory against Purdue (2-4), part of the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Rashanda McCants unloaded a career-high 28 points in 25 minutes, and freshman Cetera DeGraffenreid putt up 17 points and seven assists while committing just one turnover.
But at the end of the night it was the Tar Heels' combined effort that kept them on the winning track.
"They have five to nine weapons, they bring shooter after shooter," Purdue coach Sharon Versyp said. "I think McCants has just elevated her game to another level. . Of all the people she has just really elevated UNC."
The Tar Heels made a conscious effort to work the ball inside to post players Erlana Larkins and LaToya Pringle, who recorded 14 and 10 points, respectively.
In several instances during the second period, the freshman guards drew defenders by driving to the basket, then passed off to the open player down low.
"They're learning," Hatchell said. "At halftime I told them, 'You guards have got to make better decisions about when to take it in there among the trees.'"
North Carolina showed off its defensive tenacity early on. Pringle made it her personal mission to defend the paint, swatting down five shots to help hold the Boilermakers to 36 percent shooting in the opening period.
The Tar Heels frustrated Purdue into 10 first-half turnovers compared to only four of their own.
"Coach Hatchell's been on us about taking care of the ball because against great teams you can't be nonchalant with the ball and not care where it's going," McCants said.
UNC cashed in on its efforts, converting 16 points off those turnovers on their way to an 18-point halftime lead.
But the intensity the Tar Heels displayed in the first half fizzled in the second. Hatchell said her team gave up too many easy buckets, allowing the Boilermakers to shoot nearly 50 percent for the period.
"Second half, I thought we got a lead and got real complacent," Hatchell said. "We can't be doing that. We've got to keep our intensity up and pressure on."
UNC will need to make every minute count against the Lady Vols on Sunday, but the Tar Heels are confident heading in.
"Tennessee is a great team, but we're going to give them what we've got," McCants said. "It's going to be a challenge, but we're going to go in head first."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/29/07 5:00am)
In time, the members of the 2007 North Carolina women's soccer team will look back at their season and think about the impressive accomplishments they achieved.
They'll remember grabbing their third straight ACC Tournament title and fighting back from an early 7-3 record to streak to a 10-0-1 run midway through the season to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
But for now, all the Tar Heels can feel is disappointment.
"I think we all feel gutted," coach Anson Dorrance said. "The standards we set for ourselves are a lot higher, but I'm proud of this team that really worked to turn the season around."
North Carolina's quest for a second straight national title was cut short Saturday when the Tar Heels fell 3-2 to Notre Dame in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
It marked just the seventh NCAA loss for UNC in the program's history. And for the sophomores, who hadn't previously experienced a season without a national title, the end was unfamiliar and frustrating.
"This is not what we had planned," sophomore forward Whitney Engen said. "We were never able to show the team that we really were."
While past UNC teams have piled on the goals and punished opponents on the scoreboard, this group scored only 56 in 24 games.
UNC knew it had to replace the scoring void left by the loss of Heather O'Reilly and Elizabeth Guess, and there were early questions about the team's attack.
"At first a lot of us bought into the stigma," Engen said. "People were saying we couldn't score, and instead of trying to prove them wrong, I think a lot of us kind of believed it."
Without a dominant scoring presence, the Tar Heels relied on their experienced defense to anchor the team and cling to small leads.
UNC held on to win eight games by one goal during the season and went 4-0-1 in overtime situations.
"They certainly had to figure out different ways to win," Dorrance said. "It's a credit to our collection of veterans in the back line - (Jessica) Maxwell, Robyn Gayle and Ariel Harris - that they were able to step up and keep the score sheets clean."
With the defense controlling the backfield, speedy sophomore forward Nikki Washington used the postseason to go on a scoring spree. She tallied a goal in five of the Tar Heels' final six games.
Washington's impressive season came after talks about redshirting for foot injuries early on. UNC would have missed her presence, as Dorrance described her as the team's "most dangerous frontrunner."
Dorrance said a conscious effort to recruit numerous strikers will boost next year's front line. The 2007 squad had the makings of another championship team, but Engen said something was always missing.
"Looking back, we were an unbelievable team waiting to break out of its shell," she said. "We just never found that final piece."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/20/07 5:00am)
Butch Davis knows the importance of staying focused this week. With the upcoming holiday Thursday and a matchup against North Carolina's long-standing rival Duke on Saturday, there's plenty of room for distraction.
But the Tar Heel coach said he wants his players to concentrate on something else - themselves.
"We spend so much time and effort talking to our players about us because you can't control the other teams," Davis said. "It's really not about them, it's about us. "
(11/19/07 5:00am)
Tyler Hansbrough said he doesn't normally watch replays during a game. But during North Carolina's 107-72 rout of Iona on Sunday night, he happened to glance up at the big screen.
The crowd followed along and looked as Hansbrough drove to the basket on a fast break. Iona's 6-foot De'Shaune Griffin tried to block his path, but it was no use as Hansbrough threw down the slam dunk and drew the foul. The Smith Center exploded and though the Tar Heels already led by 35 points, Hansbrough fired everyone up with his emotion.
"He's driven, he's so driven all the time, and it always shows," junior Marcus Ginyard said. "It even gets the bench going, and during the next couple of plays you can even hear the crowd cheering that much louder. It's amazing the ability he has to change the game just with his competitiveness and his fierce attitude."
Hansbrough led all scorers with 27 points despite a zone defense from Iona designed to keep the ball out of his hands. The defensive focus on the big man also opened up opportunities for other players, which resulted in five Tar Heels recording double-digit point totals.
UNC's 50 percent perimeter shooting at the half carried it through the first period as players kicked the ball out from the post to get a quick shot off. But coach Roy Williams said he was concerned that the 24 attempted 3-pointers were too many for the game.
"Just because somebody's playing zone doesn't mean you have to shoot the ball from outside," Williams said. "And I talked to them about getting the ball inside to Tyler and Deon (Thompson), and I think that those guys did a nice job when we got the ball inside."
The Tar Heels then made a conscious effort to feed the ball to the big men for the rest of the game, and it paid off as UNC went 13-for-16 from the paint during the second half.
Thompson and small forward Danny Green unloaded 13 and 15 points, respectively, but the post players also got into the action up top defensively, breaking up plays and stepping into the passing lane to intercept balls.
The Tar Heels trapped and pressed constantly to frustrate the Iona offense, and Hansbrough, Thompson and Green combined for six steals. The Tar Heels used the fast break chances to convert 32 points off Iona's 23 turnovers.
"It takes five guys out there on the court, so it's very encouraging to see," Ginyard said. "We like that uptempo game. We like to get out in the passing lanes, trap, get turnovers, get steals and be off to the races."
North Carolina kept the points coming, but Williams said the defense gave up too many uncontested shots during the second half, allowing Iona to shoot almost 57 percent.
"We were really active defensively particularly in the first half," he said. "After that, we still did some good things, but not as consistently."
Thompson said the victory was a step forward for the Tar Heels after a narrow 72-68 win against Davidson on Wednesday. Hansbrough used his weak second-half performance against the Wildcats as motivation to take charge Sunday.
"I'm always trying to play the best that I can," Hansbrough said. "Tonight I made a point to assert myself early. . During the second half, don't shut myself down, keep it going throughout the whole game."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/12/07 5:00am)
The No. 4 North Carolina women's soccer team has grown accustomed to close games this season.
And sophomore Nikki Washington had one clear reaction immediately after she scored the lone goal in the ACC Championship game against No. 14 Florida State on Sunday - "Thank God."
The 1-0 decision was the Tar Heels' sixth straight victory in games decided by a single goal, and this most recent win gave UNC its 18th ACC Tournament title in 19 years.
While the scoreboard indicated a close game, North Carolina (17-3-1) outshot the Seminoles (13-5-3) 12-3 and kept up a constant attack on FSU with seven shots on goal.
"A 1-0 score doesn't necessarily mean that you didn't dominate the game or control play," UNC coach Anson Dorrance said. "I thought we played extremely well in the first half, and what excited me was the number of scoring opportunities we had."
Midway through the first period, Meghan Klingenberg sent a cross into a crowded box and found Washington, who stretched to deflect the ball just inside the left post to score the eventual game-winner.
Washington scored in all three tournament games for the Tar Heels, including a goal in the semifinals to tie Virginia at 1-1. UNC went on to win the game in penalty kicks.
Her speed and tenacity have served the Tar Heels well all season, but it was Washington's scoring that was instrumental to North Carolina's ACC success, and her crucial contributions earned her tournament MVP honors.
"It wasn't the prettiest thing ever, I was just happy it hit the post and went in," Washington said of her goal in the finals. "We're all really excited to win our first championship as a team."
The 2007 Tar Heel squad is the lowest-scoring UNC team in 19 years, but its defensive intensity limited opposing teams to only nine goals in the regular season and one in the ACC Tournament. That drive and focus showed in the win against Florida State.
"Our defense is an 11-individual effort," Dorrance said. "I was very happy with our pressure, and I was excited about the mentality of the team and how hard they played."
The win gave North Carolina its 11th shutout of the year, and the defense, powered by an experienced back line led by senior Jessica Maxwell, has not allowed more than one goal in any game all season.
UNC improved to 51-0-3 all-time in ACC Tournament games with the weekend's performance and five Tar Heels were named to the All-ACC Tournament Team.
UNC will enter the NCAA Tournament on Friday riding the momentum of 10-0-1 record in its last 11 games, and Dorrance said the team has probably earned a top-four seed, although the official brackets will be announced Monday night.
It's likely North Carolina will experience a few more close games before the end of the season, but Washington said the experience the Tar Heels have gained so far has prepared them well.
"I think it gives us a lot of confidence," she said "We've been in pretty much every situation possible - overtime, penalty kicks - we've seen everything there is to see and overcame it, so I think we're ready for anything."
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(10/12/07 4:00am)
North Carolina goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris' voice was hoarse after the first game of the UNC-Duke soccer double-header Thursday night.
Throughout the match, Harris screamed calls to the defense to make her voice carry over the yells of a packed crowd at Fetzer Field.
But a sore throat proved worth it as Harris' three saves helped No. 11 UNC edge Duke 2-1.
The Tar Heels (10-3, 4-1) came out strong and jumped to a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute, the earliest UNC has scored a goal this season. Nikki Washington sent a cross rocketing across the box, and Whitney Engen tapped the ball past Duke goalkeeper Allison Lipsher.
"We've had trouble scoring early this whole season, so I think we all just came out really fired up," Engen said. "It just gives you this energy, it's like a whole extra passion."
But the Blue Devils (7-3-3, 2-2-1) wouldn't give up as they answered back in the 16th minute to tie the game 1-1. Duke midfielder Lorraine Quinn intercepted a UNC clear and made a quick pass to Elisabeth Redmond, who beat the Tar Heel defense and connected with her left foot to send the ball flying past Harris into the upper right corner of the net.
"We were excited to get the first goal, and then we completely went into some sort of state of complacency," said coach Anson Dorrance, who gave credit to Duke for a well-contested game. "I think we bent but didn't break."
The Tar Heels continued to string together pass combinations that pressured Lipsher, and in the 25th minute Casey Nogueira notched her eighth goal of the season off a pass from Yael Averbuch.
The goal proved to be the second-straight game-winner for Nogueira, as neither team found the back of the net in the second half.
But there was no lack of action in the scoreless period. The Blue Devils attacked the UNC defense aggressively, and in one blur of movement in front of the UNC goal, Duke fired three quick shots in a row.
The first two hit the crossbar, one off a deflection from Harris, and Harris jumped on top of the ball after saving the third shot.
"I'm very composed, and I'm very calm in the goal," Harris said. "I don't get flustered, I don't get hectic, I don't get crazy. I keep my composure and do my best to come up with the big saves to help my teammates out. I mean, that's why they have me back there."
UNC stepped up their defensive intensity in the second half to hold off Duke's attacking runs, and it's a trend they look to maintain for the entirety of future games.
"Every minute we aim to put their team under so much pressure that they can't breathe," Engen said. "That's the way we like to play. We want to punish teams. We don't just want to beat teams, we want to prove that we're the best."
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(10/11/07 4:00am)
When the North Carolina women's soccer team hosted Clemson on Friday, the Tar Heels shut down the Tigers' offense, not allowing a single shot.
And even though sophomore Nikki Washington played at the forward position, the team's defensive effort began with her pressure from the top of the field. She raced to chase down numerous loose balls and continuously challenged Clemson defenders.
Washington will look to keep up the intensity tonight as the Tar Heels take on Duke in the first half of a UNC-Duke soccer double-header.
"She's got blazing speed and extraordinary energy," coach Anson Dorrance said. "She's one of the best one-vs.-one players I've ever seen."
Washington added to her weekend performance by scoring her first goal of the season Sunday to help the Tar Heels notch a 2-1 victory at Maryland, and Dorrance said he was impressed with her play in both games.
But another statistic Dorrance said he was excited to see was the 64 minutes Washington was able to play against Maryland - the most she's recorded this season. Her playing time has been limited since September 2006, when a foot injury she had been dealing with became aggravated.
"Last September, Nikki Washington was our best player, and that's including all of the starters," Dorrance said. "She had the best month of anyone. Even when the foot issue was developing she was still a very good player, but she didn't have the stability."
Washington continued to start every game of her freshman season, but her time on the field was split into three blocks to minimize any further damage to her foot.
She didn't play more than 22.5 minutes in the first half, no more than 15 minutes at the beginning of the second half, and no more than 10 minutes at the end of the game.
"It was definitely frustrating because you want to be able to play your best, and it's hard when any injury keeps you from doing that," Washington said.
But her playing time has started to increase during the past couple of games, and last week Washington attended her first team fitness session since the end of September 2006.
Dorrance said that Washington will be a strong asset to the team's success as her health continues to improve.
"Up until this weekend, you could see her starting to slow down at a certain point, and by the end of the game she was shattered," he said. "But now I can't tell the difference between her first minute and her 25th, and that's exciting to see."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/12/07 4:00am)
As Saturday's matchup against Virginia approaches, North Carolina football fans hope the Tar Heels can avenge the previous meeting between the two teams.
Last season the Cavaliers handed UNC a 23-0 defeat. While the score itself was disappointing to the Tar Heels, most people remember the contest as the final game before Athletic Director Dick Baddour announced that John Bunting would not return as head coach.
With that memory associated with Saturday's opponent, it might seem like North Carolina would use revenge as a motivational tactic.
But for head coach Butch Davis, last year doesn't exist.
Since Davis took over the coaching position, he has worked to keep his players focused on what's ahead, not what's in the past. For him, no one opponent is more important than another.
"I think every game, this year and probably next year, will give the whole team an opportunity to grow," Davis said. "Every experience that we go through gives us a chance to grow and learn and to get better."
To ensure that the players shift their attention to each new opponent throughout the season, Davis has implemented a 24-hour rule.
Win or lose, the team has one day to think about its last game, then it's history.
That means UNC should have already shaken off last week's heartbreaking loss to East Carolina.
"We would've loved to have last week, but last week's done, and this week is Virginia," junior Mark Paschal said. "I wish we would have had better outcomes, definitely, but it was a good learning experience for all those (young) guys."
For freshman Johnny White, who led UNC in rushing against ECU, the game was an opportunity to become better adjusted to playing at the college level.
"In high school I ran pretty hard, but in college you do have to step it up a notch and turn it up another level to run harder," White said. "We're starting to get more chemistry as we go along. That first game was basically getting the jitterbugs out. The second game I felt more comfortable out there."
Davis said each game shows the Tar Heels different aspects of their game that can be improved.
After a fumbled snap in the ECU game, the coaching staff has worked with members of the special teams during practices to simulate live, pressure-packed situations. Davis said he wants players to learn from their mistakes, but not to focus on them.
"You have to forget it and put it behind you," he said "You have to focus on your mechanics, focus on the mental aspect of it, and then you hope that it never comes back again."
The upcoming game against the Cavaliers marks UNC's first ACC contest of the season. But Davis emphasized that the team won't prepare any differently than it did for its first two games.
"There's no wasted game for us," Davis said. "You could put black helmets and black jerseys with no numbers on all 12 opponents, and it would seem significant as far as I'm concerned."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/10/07 4:00am)
The North Carolina women's soccer team saw a sea of baby blue in the stands as 4,495 fans packed Fetzer Field to watch the No. 6 Tar Heels take on No. 3 Texas A&M on Friday night as part of the Carolina Nike Classic.
After dropping its first home opener ever to South Carolina, UNC bounced back with a close 2-1 win against a tough A&M team that never gave up. On Sunday the Tar Heels defeated the Yale Bulldogs 4-0 to win the Classic outright and improve to 2-1 on the season.
North Carolina missed some early chances, but in the 36th minute, freshman reserve Meghan Klingenberg found herself one-on-one against A&M goalie Kristin Arnold off a well-placed header from Yael Averbuch. Klingenberg sent a shot flying over Arnold's head to the back-left corner of the net, notching her first career goal and putting the Tar Heels on the scoreboard for the first time this year.
"I was stoked, and I would also say surprised," Klingenberg said. "I couldn't believe the ball ended up at my feet. We knew we needed to put one in, get the first goal against them, and from there we could sort of settle down and keep going."
In both games, it was the players coming off the bench who provided UNC with a spark that seemed to re-energize the team. Sterling Smith delivered the game-winner against the Aggies off a rebound shot from Mandy Moraca shortly after both Tar Heels came off the bench.
"I really had a feeling that this reserve group was going to be very productive," coach Anson Dorrance said. "Sure enough, right out of the gate here, they're demonstrating that they want to play, and they can contribute to our success, and I'm incredibly proud of them."
Moraca also contributed Sunday after a slow start from both teams when she drew a foul in the box in the 32nd minute that allowed transfer midfielder Allie Long to bury a low penalty kick that gave UNC a 1-0 lead against Yale.
"I knew it was the first goal, so I didn't want to miss it," Long said. "We kept having opportunities so I was a little nervous, but I kept calm and confident. I tell myself I'm going to make it and try not to get psyched out."
North Carolina didn't score again until the 73rd minute, when defender Jessica Maxwell knocked in a shot off a corner kick by Averbuch. Two late goals by Long and forward Casey Nogueira inflated the score to 4-0.
Yale caught the UNC defense off guard a few times in quick transitions down the field, but the Bulldogs were unable to convert, and the Tar Heels held on for the shutout.
UNC's offense came from a variety of individuals this weekend, but with the loss of last season's top goal scorer Heather O'Reilly, the Tar Heels still are looking for a dominant offensive threat to emerge.
"What you would love are personalities in your starting unit that are going to dominate and score a goal a game, and obviously we don't have that yet," Dorrance said. "But what we have are actually seven strikers that are contributing in very positive ways."
North Carolina created a number of offensive opportunities, out-shooting its opponents 40-7 throughout the weekend. But the Tar Heels had trouble finishing, and Dorrance said he wants to see better shot selection as the season continues.
"Shot-placement choices are bad, a lot of near-post shooting, which is horrible shooting," he said. "A lot of our strikes are either right at the goalkeeper or off the frame."
Dorrance said he was impressed with his team's performance, especially against the higher-ranked Aggies, and he thinks the team can only improve as the season progresses.
"The team has some potential, and we're kind of excited," he said. "We don't play with this potential every minute of every game, but it's still early, and we're hoping to continue to get better, so I'm very happy with where we are at this juncture."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(08/31/07 4:00am)
When recent North Carolina graduate Sara Anundsen sat down to eat dinner Wednesday night, she saw a face she was used to seeing only on a television screen.
Roger Federer, winner of 11 Grand Slam singles titles and the No. 1 tennis player in the world, was sitting in the same cafeteria, and this time there were no camera crews in sight.
Anundsen was starstruck, but as a player in the 2007 U.S. Open along with former Tar Heel teammate Jenna Long, she was not only surrounded by top-caliber tennis players - she was one of them.
As they stepped onto one of the outdoor courts at the USTA National Tennis Center on Thursday in New York, Anundsen and Long became the first UNC women to play in the U.S. Open. Though the duo fell in the first round to Poland's Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska 6-2, 6-1, Anundsen said the experience was unforgettable.
"We were both thrilled to get the opportunity to play with each other again," she said. "They called our names, and someone walked us from the locker room to the court, and there were so many people watching. We've never been on a stage that big before."
Tar Heel coach Brian Kalbas joined the players in New York to help them prepare and to lend support. The tandem had not played together since their NCAA championship win in May, and Kalbas said that the two did not play their best tennis at the Open, but that the score didn't reflect the closeness of the match.
"They had chances in both sets, and they had a lot of game-point opportunities in the first set," he said. "Once the momentum swung in the other direction, there was more pressure on them to come back, but they never gave up, and they certainly weren't outclassed, just a little rusty."
The pair's opponents were doubles specialists, and Anundsen said their hard hits and fast pace were things she wasn't used to.
"They just didn't seem to make any errors," she said. "It was tough to get balls past them, and they caught us off guard a few times."
Despite the loss, Anundsen's and Long's accomplishments are something Kalbas will use to build the team and attract recruits.
"It really puts the program at that next level," Kalbas said. "That kind of opportunity is not guaranteed, but they made a statement and demonstrated that playing at UNC can provide that chance."
Anundsen and Long began playing together as freshmen at the
No. 3 doubles spot. Four years later, the two ended their UNC careers as the No. 1 team in the nation and ITA's National Doubles Team of the Year. Junior Austin Smith said they showed their teammates what can become possible with hard work and dedication.
"They really deserved everything they got," Smith said. "And it motivates everyone else to follow in their steps to get to that level."
Long will continue to play professionally, but for Anundsen, who will move to the coaching side of the sport as an assistant at Princeton University, the U.S. Open match brought out some emotions.
"It was really bittersweet because it was my last time playing competitively for a while," she said. "By the end of the match, I was getting sad. But if you have to stop playing, that's a pretty great way to go out."
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(08/27/07 4:00am)
After a spring season with almost no break from competition and a postseason stint in the NCAA Women's Tennis Championships, Tar Heel Sanaz Marand could look forward to a relaxing summer break.
Marand spent her time off playing in several tournaments, practicing individually and working out on a regular basis to stay in shape.
Not exactly your typical summer of leisure.
But for Marand and the rest of the North Carolina women's tennis team, it's what's expected from coach Brian Kalbas.
"Playing during the summer is important for them to keep their game at a high level," Kalbas said.
"When we come back in the fall, I always want my players to be in good shape and match-ready, and they do a good job of that."
Although tennis is usually considered a spring sport, UNC participates in a number of fall tournaments, including the All-American Championships and the ITA Regionals. Kalbas said this is one of the most important times for players to develop their game.
"During this part of the season we focus more on training," he said. "It's not as intense as the spring, so we can be more technically oriented, and it gives us the opportunity to fine-tune all the little things."
While the Tar Heels compete as a team during the spring, the tournaments in the fall center on individual play. Sophomore Katrina Tsang appreciated this time last year because it allowed her to ease into playing with the team and learn more about how things worked.
"Coming in as a freshman, the fall gave me a chance to work with the coaches individually and get a feel for the team," she said. "It was really helpful to me to already have a semester under my belt when the spring season started."
Even though they're playing as individuals, all the Tar Heels go to the tournaments at the beginning of the year to cheer each other on. It's during these competitions that Kalbas looks for the players to establish team spirit and camaraderie.
Between practicing and traveling, the team is together almost constantly during the spring, but the players agree that it's the bonding time during the fall that helps them become such a close group.
"That's the first time we can communicate as a team and get the right chemistry," Marand said. "You're playing for yourself, but you know your team's behind you."
On top of the physical skills the Tar Heels develop, competing in the fall tournaments also helps to build mental toughness.
"I learned to stay with it every game and keep fighting," Marand said. "That made a big difference in the spring, especially during some close matches."
NCAA restrictions limit schools to eight weeks of practice in the fall, so UNC doesn't start official practices until Sept. 8. But that doesn't mean the players are taking it easy.
"They're always working hard and competing hard," Kalbas said. "We all want to keep getting better, and training and conditioning now means that, come spring, we'll be ready to go."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(08/20/07 4:00am)
When U.S. women's soccer coach Greg Ryan announced his team's roster for the 2007 Women's World Cup this summer, it wasn't a surprise that five of the 21 players were North Carolina graduates.
The unmatched achievements of the UNC program, such as its 19 national championships and 629-28-18 record through 28 seasons, have captured the attention of national-team coaches since the U.S. team's early stages, when UNC coach Anson Dorrance ran the show.
The tradition of success that Dorrance has built in Chapel Hill consistently attracts some of the best players in the country and in the world.
"There's a huge advantage in recruiting the kind of kids who play for national teams because these are the elite players," Dorrance said. "They get a lot of wonderful additional playing opportunities when they're representing the United States."
But that extra experience comes with risks. Of the four Tar Heels who competed in international play this summer, only Casey Nogueira returned healthy.
Dorrance said he was devastated that midfielder Ali Hawkins had suffered a season-ending ACL injury while playing for the U-21 team in England. Tobin Heath and Nikki Washington, two major contributors to North Carolina's starting lineup, will spend the first part of the season recovering from foot injuries.
The injuries will give this year's UNC squad new challenges, but the situation is not unusual.
"Through our history, we have borne the brunt of so many summer injuries to our kids representing the U.S. on national youth teams, and to some extent, we are overplaying these kids," Dorrance said. "I do think it's a problem, so it's a mixed blessing when our kids are selected for youth teams."
In addition to the physical risks, players are sometimes forced to join UNC mid-season because of conflicting schedules. Last year Nogueira and Heath missed their freshmen preseason to compete with the U-20 team in Russia.
But for Heath, the benefits of playing on a U.S. team made it worthwhile.
"The overall experience, it's a different kind of playing environment, and I think it helped me mature a lot as a player," she said. "I would have loved to be here for preseason and get to know the girls earlier, but I don't think it ever hurt me."
Dorrance said he appreciates the polish his players receive as a result of national-team experience, but he wants to balance that with the value of individual development.
"They need a period to basically work on their fitness bases and their game," he said. "With the demands that are now made on our youth players, they're not getting this opportunity."
Dorrance points to Yael Averbuch as someone who has effectively coordinated her experiences at the national and collegiate levels. Averbuch said she viewed playing with the full national team as a learning experience.
"I came back to the UNC program with a lot more confidence and a lot more knowledge about what it's going to take to play at that level," she said. "When players from this program go into camps, we all do really well and are very well prepared. It says a lot for what we do here, and I think it speaks well for everything Anson does and the tradition he's created."
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