UNC's brutal non-conference slate concludes against Texas
Contrary to the saying, not everything in Texas is big.
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Contrary to the saying, not everything in Texas is big.
No. 10 North Carolina (8-2) turned its first unranked opponent in nearly two weeks into nothing more than an exam study break Saturday night.
Four years running North Carolina had found itself on the edge of the Final Four. The script was the same every time: The women's lacrosse squad would reach the NCAA quarterfinals and lose on the road to a higher-ranked opponent.She knew the streak was in her players' minds" so UNC coach Jenny Levy decided the best way to handle it was to avoid it altogether.""I just kept telling the team" ‘Look. The only game on our schedule right now is the next game"'"" Levy said.And after a 16-10 win against Notre Dame on Saturday" Levy can say it again.The Tar Heels used five unanswered goals in the second half to put away the Fighting Irish (16-5). Junior attacker Kristen Taylor started the spurt with a goal with 18:24 to go. Then she kept it alive with two breakaway assists just 22 seconds apart.But the scoring wasn't the back-breaker for Notre Dame. Timely execution by the Tar Heels' offense during a frantic stretch after Taylor's goal started to close the lid on the Fighting Irish.With midfielders Mia Hurrin and Kelly Taylor both in the box for penalties — separated by only 58 seconds — the Tar Heels held on to possession in Notre Dame territory for two minutes despite being two players down. The game of lacrosse broke down into a high-stakes game of monkey in the middle during that stretch as any Tar Heel who touched the ball faced an instant double team from the Fighting Irish. But UNC moved the ball quickly and kept it off the ground preventing Notre Dame from capitalizing on a perfect opportunity to cut into the Tar Heels' 11-8 lead and get back into the game. And moments after the stalemate finally broke" UNC's Katie Brooks netted the game's next goal on a breakaway.""We certainly used that as a motivator in the huddle saying" ‘Hey we just played two men down and ended with a goal"'"" Levy said. ""We didn't want them to get any transition goals during that time.""Both teams scored quickly in the opening half" starting with Notre Dame's goal on the game's first shot — 33 seconds in. The Tar Heels led by Jenn Russell Megan Bosica and Corey Donohoe with three goals each were able to score exclusively on unassisted goals in the first half.UNC (15-4) took an 8-6 lead into halftime" but the Irish were right behind after making quick work of the Tar Heels' defense with passes from behind the net.""We didn't have it all together at that point"" senior defender Amber Falcone said. But we just kept playing and (did) what we knew and what we had worked on all week.""Falcone was crucial in cutting the Fighting Irish down to a one-dimensional offense in the second half. Notre Dame's ace attacker" Jillian Byers had all four of her team's goals after the break and finished with five. The team moves on to play second-seeded Maryland (21-0) on Friday in Towson Md. The Final Four features the top four overall seeds in the tournament.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Rashanda McCants wasn't able to follow her brother's path to a national championship at UNC — but she is following him to the next step.At the WNBA Draft on Thursday in Secaucus N.J." McCants was there in person when she was selected 15th overall by the Minnesota Lynx. She joins the same organization that drafted her brother Rashad with the 14th pick in the 2005 draft.""I've been dreaming about the WNBA since I was a little girl playing in the backyard with my brother" McCants said. As the league grew my love for the game grew. Especially going through college" my aspirations to take my game to the next level.""The 6-foot-1-inch McCants comes to an often-struggling franchise that finished a respectable 16-18 last season. The Lynx" who share the Target Center in Minneapolis with the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA" have compiled eight losing records in 10 seasons.""At 15" we could not believe Rashanda McCants was there still. We had her going to Detroit at 11 Minnesota coach Don Zierden said in a statement. (She's) long athletic can defend all day long. … She goes to the boards" which helps us in another area.""There are plenty of new faces on the roster for 2009" including one who will be familiar for McCants: North Carolina teammate LaToya Pringle.The Lynx acquired the shot-blocking forward in a trade in January. Pringle a WNBA rookie last year started for two seasons at UNC and was second in scoring (behind McCants) on the 2007-08 team that reached the Elite Eight.Also joining the Lynx is Renee Montgomery of Connecticut who was taken with the fourth overall pick. Despite the team's less-than-stellar history" McCants said she was thrilled to be picked by Minnesota and to begin the transition into professional basketball.""I'm definitely just overwhelmed. The whole time" sitting in the room filled with excitement and nervousness and anticipation McCants said. I don't know what to compare it to. It's very very different" but at the same I can say it's very exciting.""And though Rashanda McCants won't be in the same city as Rashad — a deadline trade this season sent him to the Sacramento Kings — she'll be one step behind him once again. Her freshman season at UNC came the year after he won a championship with the 2005 men's team" and though she didn't win a title of her own" she'll use the lessons she learned at UNC to keep her focused in the pros.""I definitely learned that you go through ups and downs and it makes you stronger in the end" McCants said. Playing for coach (Sylvia) Hatchell" it's been a great four years there.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Nearly two months ago Connecticut's Jerome Dyson suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee in a game against Syracuse.The injury required surgery and ended Dyson's season — and it could have stopped UConn.'s chances of winning a title as well.But the loss of Dyson a junior guard who was averaging double-digit scoring and led the team in steals was softened by UConn.'s deep roster.And out of the three No. 1 seeds to come from the Big East only the Huskies are still alive. Without Dyson sophomore forward Stanley Robinson moved into the starting lineup.He's averaged eight rebounds and more than 12 points per game since Dyson's Feb 11 injury while senior guard A.J. Price has also taken on a larger share of the Huskies' scoring.Altogether" the Huskies have had four different players lead them in scoring in four NCAA Tournament games so far.""We need to be — not the same team — but as good a team. And I think we're as good a team as we were when we had Jerome"" UConn. coach Jim Calhoun said. Lot of things have changed.""""Most importantly" these kids stayed with it. And that is the thing that's made it really really special. They stayed with a situation that was very" very difficult. They've stayed incredibly focused.""The Huskies are 8-3 since Dyson's injury" with a quality win against Marquette but two losses to Pittsburgh and a six-overtime loss to Syracuse in the Big East Tournament.They have yet to prove they can beat a top team without Dyson but they were as dominant as anyone in the opening four rounds of the NCAA Tournament.The foundation for that dominance has been UConn.'s defense. Their anchor? Seven-foot 3-inch junior Hasheem Thabeet in the low post who averages 4.3 blocks per game.And while Thabeet gets most of the attention the roster is full of experienced defenders. Only two underclassmen are in UConn.'s eight-man rotation and the squad starts three seniors.The run-and-shoot Missouri Tigers found out about the Huskies' defensive pride early in their Elite Eight matchup. After the Huskies scored on the game's opening possession the Tigers' Zaire Taylor tried to beat them back down the court after a made basket for a wide-open layup.Robinson was waiting for him and he cleanly slapped the shot off the glass. Two possessions later" Taylor tried it again — and Robinson caught up with him from behind for another block.""If we're really good on the team defense" that's going to be the key Thabeet said. Every time we go out there and play good defense" we ended up winning the game.""
CHATTANOOGA Tenn. — Twice Purdue's seniors had met the end of their seasons at North Carolina's hands. Monday" the Boilermakers' upperclassmen returned the favor — and the Tar Heels were the ones swallowing a difficult defeat.""It's a great win in my senior year — after so many times" it was our turn Purdue's Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton said.In the second half we were able to knock down our shots" and that was it.""UNC mastered its turnover demons and had a plus-seven advantage. The Tar Heels were superior on the offensive glass" gathering 21 to Purdue's five. UNC won the battle of points in the paint by 40 to 22 but none of it was enough to earn a win and survive in the NCAA Tournament.The No. 6 Boilermakers (24-10) broke out of a tie at halftime and controlled the second half" winning 85-70.""On the stat sheet" I look at those and … I'm thinking" ‘How did we lose this game?'"" coach Sylvia Hatchell said.Despite controlling the categories that had been their weaknesses all season long" the No. 3 Tar Heels (28-7) had no answer for Purdue's shooting. The Boilermakers used an 11-2 run midway through the second half to take a grip on the lead.With 5:13 to play Cetera DeGraffenreid cut the lead to six on a pair of free throws" but Purdue answered with a four-point play by Brittany Rayburn that signaled the end for the Tar Heels.""Our defense" it just wasn't there" said sophomore guard Italee Lucas, who led the Tar Heels with 21 points.The Boilermakers shot nearly 70 percent from the floor in the second half, also going 19-for-21 from the foul line, which left UNC struggling to keep up.Despite Lucas' hot hand, the lead never narrowed down to single digits in the closing minutes.The three seniors and two juniors in Purdue's starting lineup knew what to expect from the Tar Heels. Besides NCAA defeats to UNC in 2006 and 2007, they also lost in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last season.They benefited from knowing how to play against UNC's fast-paced tempo, and all three of Purdue's starting seniors reached double digits.We just needed to slow down" get composed and run through our offense and execute" Wisdom-Hylton said of her team's halftime talk while the game was tied 30-30.For senior Rashanda McCants, the ending was a frustrating one. The Tar Heels' leading scorer put up 28 the last time she faced off against this squad, but she was hampered by foul trouble and never looked in rhythm.Disappointed"" McCants said of her demeanor after the game. Too many emotions going through my mind to think about it. I feel like I lost the game for my team.""The senior forward — who wrote a reminder on her shoe before the game that this could be her last chance — put up only six points on 3-of-15 shooting.She had been optimistic about making one last run to the Final Four at the same site of her brother Rashad's 2005 championship with the men's team"" calling it ""destiny.""Instead"" she was left only with words for her teammates returning next year.""Work harder than ever coming into the season"" McCants said.'Cause it's over quicker than you think.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
CHATTANOOGA Tenn. — Losing minutes can be disappointing. For Heather Claytor a senior in the final stretch of her career it must feel even worse.She was a key reserve in North Carolina's rotation earlier in the season but saw her playing time slump in the past 10 games. In the Tar Heels' last loss against Maryland she barely even got off the bench" playing less than a minute.""You can't let that get to you"" Claytor said. You have to be ready because any time (coach Sylvia Hatchell) could have called my name.""You don't have to take her word for it — Claytor was ready.The guard went 6-for-8 from the floor and had a season-high 17 points Saturday against Central Florida. Claytor" a starter last season showed her characteristic touch from the 3-point line where she was 4-for-6.Claytor is mostly a catch-and-shoot player but given 20 minutes against UCF she was able to create some of her own looks.Once in the second half when a defender was too close she faked the shot darted forward and knocked down a long 2-pointer.Later" she ran down a long fast-break pass from Italee Lucas and converted a 3-point play.But — as the UCF coaching staff was well aware — the most important part of Claytor's game is her long-range shooting.""We did know. We got caught a couple times … and she made us pay"" said Knights coach Joi Williams, who joked that her team did in fact have a scouting report for Claytor — it just didn't look as though they did.For a player who hadn't hit a trey since Feb. 5, Claytor showed confidence with her stroke against UCF.Her first shot from the corner took an ugly bounce off the backboard, but she hit a pair only a few minutes later that helped UNC get control of the game.The first 3-pointer put the Tar Heels up 20-14.Only a moment later, Claytor hit again from the top of the circle to stretch the lead to seven.Both shots came on assists from Cetera DeGraffenreid, who found Claytor open often against a defense structured to stop UNC from scoring off the dribble.Lots of people play us man-to-man where we don't get that many open looks"" Hatchell said.That's one of the reasons why Heather played so much today. Against the zone we can reverse the ball and in transition we can penetrate and kick.""Afterward" Claytor was humble about her big game. And like a veteran" she didn't acknowledge any frustration either.""There will be games where certain people don't step up and other people have to"" Claytor said. And it could have been anybody else on our bench that came up big.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
DURHAM — Duke's senior point guard Abby Waner was 1-for-15 in the first 44 minutes of her last game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. But as any veteran would say it's not how you start the game — it's how you end it.After guard Jasmine Thomas who scored 10 of the No. 10 Blue Devils' final 16 points hit a runner off the glass with 19.9 seconds left that sent the game to overtime Waner's 3-pointer put the Blue Devils ahead for good with 45.8 seconds left.The Tar Heels fell 79-81 in overtime Sunday despite 24 points from UNC star senior Rashanda McCants. But her best chance to end it — a layup near the end of regulation — rolled off the rim.The teams were evenly matched but Duke held the advantage for most of the game after a 13-1 run midway through first half. No. 9 UNC (25-5 10-4 ACC) got its chance to get back in the game 8 minutes into the second half.Trailing by six" Chay Shegog leapt to grab an offensive rebound and drew the fourth foul from Duke's Chante Black on the putback.""She's a great shot-blocker. … With Chante" she can move" UNC's Jessica Breland said of Black, who played only 18 minutes but finished with four blocks.With Duke's leading scorer and rebounder sitting on the bench, the lane was all Breland's. She made two crucial blocks and pulled down rebound after rebound while the Tar Heels chipped away at the lead.Back-to-back Italee Lucas 3-pointers put the Tar Heels ahead 56-54, and for the first time since 8:42 into the first half, the Tar Heels were in control with the lead. But Duke's zone stymied the Tar Heels all night, so it was no surprise when the Blue Devils (24-4, 11-3 ACC) pulled it again after the last TV timeout and capitalized on yet another UNC turnover.The Tar Heels again struggled with ball control and finished with a season-high 33 turnovers, including 15 from starting guards Cetera DeGraffenreid and Lucas.Duke shot only 34.5 percent for the game but made up for it by manhandling UNC on loose balls. Their aggressiveness led to 23 steals and a mammoth 32 offensive rebounds.That was the critical thing — we often made a first-shot miss" but we had to get the rebound and make sure we got the ball" Duke coach Joanne McCallie said of her team's 54-42 rebounding advantage.Both teams came out aggressive in overtime and traded baskets back and forth. A 3-point play from freshman Shegog gave UNC a 76-75 edge with 1:45 remaining. She shut down Duke's Carrem Gray in the post on the next play — but the only other Duke senior left on the court wasn't about to let a freshman spoil her ACC finale.Waner erased a miserable shooting performance by burying her last 3-pointer from the left wing to put the Blue Devils ahead 78-76.And after a block and an airball on UNC's next two trips down the court, the result was sealed.We will use this game as motivation" UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. Everything happens for a reason" and this may be a blessing in disguise — I hope so.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
The word — a simple instruction — has been echoing in their ears for days"" and Thursday the Tar Heels heard it again as they dashed back up the court.""Rebound! Rebound! Rebound!"" coach Sylvia Hatchell barked.Fortunately for her sanity" her team has been listening.On a night when both teams played some of their sloppiest basketball of the season — both teams had double-digit turnover marks only 15 minutes into the game — the rebounding margin was the difference in North Carolina's 93-77 win against Virginia Tech.Virginia Tech was held to only nine rebounds in the first half while the Tar Heels controlled the glass so well in that period that the Hokies didn't grab a single offensive rebound on 16 missed shots.The final margin was 38-25 in favor of UNC (20-3 5-2 ACC). Eleven of the rebounds were supplied by Jessica Breland" who said the word is firmly ingrained in her mind.""I actually kind of dream about it. I'll be twitching and jumping and stuff" 'cause I'll be thinking about rebounding when I'm sleeping" Breland said.No. 8 UNC took the lead early with an 8-0 run in the opening two minutes, but Virginia Tech (11-12, 1-7 ACC) warmed up and resisted letting the Tar Heels run away with it.The first 10-point lead for the Tar Heels came off a 3-pointer from Heather Claytor that made the score 29-19 with 7:44 remaining in the first half.But it lasted only 16 seconds, as the Hokies drove right back for a quick layup.Traveling calls on the next two possessions kept the Tar Heels from taking control of the game, and Virginia Tech cut the lead to 29-23.A few minutes later, Italee Lucas got the Tar Heels off and running.After a Virginia Tech layup made it 35-25, the guard converted on a baseline drive and followed it up with a cross-court pass to Rashanda McCants for a 3-pointer.She followed that up later with an assist to Breland and back-to-back three pointers to cap off the 13-5 run.That's the kind of player I knew she could be when she came to school here"" Hatchell said.Lucas finished with 18 points and four steals and helped establish the Tar Heels' outside presence with four 3-pointers in her third-straight game.But Lucas also had five turnovers on the night — second only to Breland's six — and the Tar Heels finished with 26, their third-straight game with at least 20.The Hokies turned on full-court pressure midway through the second half to prevent UNC from holding on to their lead by slowing the game down.It didn't make much difference, since the Tar Heels were taking the ball to the hoop quickly anyway, and the Hokies couldn't cut the lead to single digits in the closing half.Virginia Tech whittled away the lead to a 13-point margin three times in the second half, though that was partly due to the Tar Heels going cold for a four-minute stretch.At the end of the game, North Carolina finished shooting 57 percent, allowing a 49 percent performance from the Hokies — the final margin came down to the boards.Hatchell has been so fanatical about attacking the glass that she put signs that say Rebound"" above some of her players' beds.With a matchup against No. 4 Duke on Monday — one thing they don't need any reminder about — the signs will stay up.""There's a little one by my mirror" too" Breland said.And I'm not gonna touch it.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Seven seconds was all it took for Italee Lucas to square up and hit her first 3-pointer Sunday — and it didn't take much longer after that for No. 10 North Carolina to put the game away against N.C. Central.The Eagles were down by 14 before they got their first point and were buried by three-pointers in the opening minutes thanks to a blisteringly hot shooting start.Lucas who set a career high with 27 points in the Tar Heels' last game" hit her first five shots from long range and finished with 19 points.""My teammates were penetrating and kicking it" they were pretty much getting me open Lucas said.It felt good" so the shots were just falling.""After coach Sylvia Hatchell got fired up on the sidelines when her team gave up three consecutive offensive rebounds to the Eagles in the fifth minute" the sophomore guard took off on a hot streak. Her second trey came from a wide-open look at the top of the circle and made the score 24-3. From there the Tar Heels' margin shot up in 3-point bursts while Lucas took over the game with her stroke.On the next three possessions she hit a 3-pointer. One with a defender at her hip on the right side and again from the right corner for the next two. A double-team outside the arc forced her to pass on the next trip down the court but it didn't stop the flurry of long-range shots. Heather Claytor hit from the left corner to make the margin 33-5. She missed her next shot but a rebound from Laura Broomfield came back to Claytor who drove and dished to Lucas for another wide-open triple.The three-minute run catapulted the score to 36-7 and cemented the Tar Heels in control of the game.The Eagles made it therapeutically easy to get to the paint — even for UNC's reserves — and allowed half of the roster to score at least seven points or more. UNC shot better than 80 percent at the start and finished with a 54.9 percent rate for the game" which Hatchell credited to her team's attacking attitude.""We were really trying to attack the rim" be a little more aggressive" Hatchell said.The five 3-pointers from Lucas were the highlight of the team's performance behind the arc. UNC shot 10-for-19 from 3-point range, and many of the open looks started with pressure from point guards Cetera DeGraffenreid and She'la White.Lucas might have reached her career high had she played more than 17 minutes in the game. No Tar Heel was in the game more than 20, and starting forward Jessica Breland had the lowest court time on the team with nine minutes.The Tar Heels' top players spent much of the second half cheering on their teammates.It was fun out there" Lucas said. We were sharing the ball" making baskets. We just had a good time.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Just 10 days ago the North Carolina women's basketball team was brimming with confidence. Rashanda McCants and Italee Lucas chattered excitedly about the impending matchup between their undefeated squad and the country's top-ranked team Connecticut. Fresh off a 103-74 thumping of then-No. 16 Virginia the Tar Heels had every reason to look forward to the challenge of their upcoming schedule. But a 1-2 match-up and two ACC games turned into three straight losses and the Tar Heels found themselves in mid-season freefall.They've fallen from No. 2 to No. 10 in the AP poll in a single week" after losing three in a row for the first time in seven years.The third defeat was cruelly punctuated with the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Jessica Breland to an ankle sprain in the closing minutes Sunday of a 77-71 defeat at Maryland.""It's been a tough nine days" with the games and then with the situation with Kay" coach Sylvia Hatchell said of her close friend Kay Yow, former coach at N.C. State, who died Saturday.But it's a part of playing at this level"" and you just regroup and keep moving on.""Two of the losses — the Maryland match and a 66-62 loss against Georgia Tech — were reasonably close" but the shattering of North Carolina's undefeated record is still jarring.The Tar Heels' most pressing problem is easy to see. Stretching back to an overtime win against N.C. State on Jan. 11 North Carolina has been outrebounded in four out of its last five games.The worst was against Connecticut when the Huskies dominated the glass by a 53-32 margin including 21 offensive rebounds. In that game no Tar Heel managed more than six boards.Curing the rebounding woes will be no simple task especially if Breland misses games. The junior forward is leading the team with 7.2 rebounds per game this season just ahead of McCants. McCants will need to keep up her production while also staying clear of foul trouble. She was sorely missed as she sat on the bench with four fouls against Maryland and she picked up her fifth soon after re-entering — her third foul-out of the season which leads the team.Iman McFarland who missed two games with an ankle injury and returned Jan. 22 at Georgia Tech has started most of the year primarily because of her rebounding.She averages fewer than five points per game but ranks third on the team with 5.3 rebounds per contest.Hatchell also could turn to Christina Dewitt a 6-foot-2-inch junior who has performed well in a reserve role at times but saw only four minutes combined in the last two games. Dewitt led the team with nine rebounds against UVa. in only 12 minutes.But the bottom line is that no matter who gets playing time" the Tar Heels need better production on the glass up and down the roster.""We've got to play even more physical and tougher"" Hatchell said. The game at Georgia Tech was extremely physical.""We've got to react to that. We've got to play a lot tougher"" but we're learning.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Just 10 days ago the North Carolina women's basketball team was brimming with confidence. Rashanda McCants and Italee Lucas chattered excitedly about the impending matchup between their undefeated squad and the country's top-ranked team Connecticut. Fresh off a 103-74 thumping of then-No. 16 Virginia the Tar Heels had every reason to look forward to the challenge of their upcoming schedule. But a 1-2 match-up and two ACC games turned into three straight losses and the Tar Heels found themselves in mid-season freefall.They've fallen from No. 2 to No. 10 in the AP poll in a single week" after losing three in a row for the first time in seven years.The third defeat was cruelly punctuated with the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Jessica Breland to an ankle sprain in the closing minutes Sunday of a 77-71 defeat at Maryland.""It's been a tough nine days" with the games and then with the situation with Kay" coach Sylvia Hatchell said of her close friend Kay Yow, former coach at N.C. State, who died Saturday.But it's a part of playing at this level"" and you just regroup and keep moving on.""Two of the losses — the Maryland match and a 66-62 loss against Georgia Tech — were reasonably close" but the shattering of North Carolina's undefeated record is still jarring.The Tar Heels' most pressing problem is easy to see. Stretching back to an overtime win against N.C. State on Jan. 11 North Carolina has been outrebounded in four out of its last five games.The worst was against Connecticut when the Huskies dominated the glass by a 53-32 margin including 21 offensive rebounds. In that game no Tar Heel managed more than six boards.Curing the rebounding woes will be no simple task especially if Breland misses games. The junior forward is leading the team with 7.2 rebounds per game this season just ahead of McCants. McCants will need to keep up her production while also staying clear of foul trouble. She was sorely missed as she sat on the bench with four fouls against Maryland and she picked up her fifth soon after re-entering — her third foul-out of the season which leads the team.Iman McFarland who missed two games with an ankle injury and returned Jan. 22 at Georgia Tech has started most of the year primarily because of her rebounding.She averages fewer than five points per game but ranks third on the team with 5.3 rebounds per contest.Hatchell also could turn to Christina Dewitt a 6-foot-2-inch junior who has performed well in a reserve role at times but saw only four minutes combined in the last two games. Dewitt led the team with nine rebounds against UVa. in only 12 minutes.But the bottom line is that no matter who gets playing time" the Tar Heels need better production on the glass up and down the roster.""We've got to play even more physical and tougher"" Hatchell said. The game at Georgia Tech was extremely physical.""We've got to react to that. We've got to play a lot tougher"" but we're learning.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Just 10 days ago the North Carolina women's basketball team was brimming with confidence. Rashanda McCants and Italee Lucas chattered excitedly about the impending matchup between their undefeated squad and the country's top-ranked team Connecticut. Fresh off a 103-74 thumping of then-No. 16 Virginia the Tar Heels had every reason to look forward to the challenge of their upcoming schedule. But a 1-2 match-up and two ACC games turned into three straight losses and the Tar Heels found themselves in mid-season freefall.They've fallen from No. 2 to No. 10 in the AP poll in a single week" after losing three in a row for the first time in seven years.The third defeat was cruelly punctuated with the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Jessica Breland to an ankle sprain in the closing minutes Sunday of a 77-71 defeat at Maryland.""It's been a tough nine days" with the games and then with the situation with Kay" coach Sylvia Hatchell said of her close friend Kay Yow, former coach at N.C. State, who died Saturday.But it's a part of playing at this level"" and you just regroup and keep moving on.""Two of the losses — the Maryland match and a 66-62 loss against Georgia Tech — were reasonably close" but the shattering of North Carolina's undefeated record is still jarring.The Tar Heels' most pressing problem is easy to see. Stretching back to an overtime win against N.C. State on Jan. 11 North Carolina has been outrebounded in four out of its last five games.The worst was against Connecticut when the Huskies dominated the glass by a 53-32 margin including 21 offensive rebounds. In that game no Tar Heel managed more than six boards.Curing the rebounding woes will be no simple task especially if Breland misses games. The junior forward is leading the team with 7.2 rebounds per game this season just ahead of McCants. McCants will need to keep up her production while also staying clear of foul trouble. She was sorely missed as she sat on the bench with four fouls against Maryland and she picked up her fifth soon after re-entering — her third foul-out of the season which leads the team.Iman McFarland who missed two games with an ankle injury and returned Jan. 22 at Georgia Tech has started most of the year primarily because of her rebounding.She averages fewer than five points per game but ranks third on the team with 5.3 rebounds per contest.Hatchell also could turn to Christina Dewitt a 6-foot-2-inch junior who has performed well in a reserve role at times but saw only four minutes combined in the last two games. Dewitt led the team with nine rebounds against UVa. in only 12 minutes.But the bottom line is that no matter who gets playing time" the Tar Heels need better production on the glass up and down the roster.""We've got to play even more physical and tougher"" Hatchell said. The game at Georgia Tech was extremely physical.""We've got to react to that. We've got to play a lot tougher"" but we're learning.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Just 10 days ago the North Carolina women's basketball team was brimming with confidence. Rashanda McCants and Italee Lucas chattered excitedly about the impending matchup between their undefeated squad and the country's top-ranked team Connecticut. Fresh off a 103-74 thumping of then-No. 16 Virginia the Tar Heels had every reason to look forward to the challenge of their upcoming schedule. But a 1-2 match-up and two ACC games turned into three straight losses and the Tar Heels found themselves in mid-season freefall.They've fallen from No. 2 to No. 10 in the AP poll in a single week" after losing three in a row for the first time in seven years.The third defeat was cruelly punctuated with the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Jessica Breland to an ankle sprain in the closing minutes Sunday of a 77-71 defeat at Maryland.""It's been a tough nine days" with the games and then with the situation with Kay" coach Sylvia Hatchell said of her close friend Kay Yow, former coach at N.C. State, who died Saturday.But it's a part of playing at this level"" and you just regroup and keep moving on.""Two of the losses — the Maryland match and a 66-62 loss against Georgia Tech — were reasonably close" but the shattering of North Carolina's undefeated record is still jarring.The Tar Heels' most pressing problem is easy to see. Stretching back to an overtime win against N.C. State on Jan. 11 North Carolina has been outrebounded in four out of its last five games.The worst was against Connecticut when the Huskies dominated the glass by a 53-32 margin including 21 offensive rebounds. In that game no Tar Heel managed more than six boards.Curing the rebounding woes will be no simple task especially if Breland misses games. The junior forward is leading the team with 7.2 rebounds per game this season just ahead of McCants. McCants will need to keep up her production while also staying clear of foul trouble. She was sorely missed as she sat on the bench with four fouls against Maryland and she picked up her fifth soon after re-entering — her third foul-out of the season which leads the team.Iman McFarland who missed two games with an ankle injury and returned Jan. 22 at Georgia Tech has started most of the year primarily because of her rebounding.She averages fewer than five points per game but ranks third on the team with 5.3 rebounds per contest.Hatchell also could turn to Christina Dewitt a 6-foot-2-inch junior who has performed well in a reserve role at times but saw only four minutes combined in the last two games. Dewitt led the team with nine rebounds against UVa. in only 12 minutes.But the bottom line is that no matter who gets playing time" the Tar Heels need better production on the glass up and down the roster.""We've got to play even more physical and tougher"" Hatchell said. The game at Georgia Tech was extremely physical.""We've got to react to that. We've got to play a lot tougher"" but we're learning.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Just 10 days ago the North Carolina women's basketball team was brimming with confidence. Rashanda McCants and Italee Lucas chattered excitedly about the impending matchup between their undefeated squad and the country's top-ranked team Connecticut. Fresh off a 103-74 thumping of then-No. 16 Virginia the Tar Heels had every reason to look forward to the challenge of their upcoming schedule. But a 1-2 match-up and two ACC games turned into three straight losses and the Tar Heels found themselves in mid-season freefall.They've fallen from No. 2 to No. 10 in the AP poll in a single week" after losing three in a row for the first time in seven years.The third defeat was cruelly punctuated with the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Jessica Breland to an ankle sprain in the closing minutes Sunday of a 77-71 defeat at Maryland.""It's been a tough nine days" with the games and then with the situation with Kay" coach Sylvia Hatchell said of her close friend Kay Yow, former coach at N.C. State, who died Saturday.But it's a part of playing at this level"" and you just regroup and keep moving on.""Two of the losses — the Maryland match and a 66-62 loss against Georgia Tech — were reasonably close" but the shattering of North Carolina's undefeated record is still jarring.The Tar Heels' most pressing problem is easy to see. Stretching back to an overtime win against N.C. State on Jan. 11 North Carolina has been outrebounded in four out of its last five games.The worst was against Connecticut when the Huskies dominated the glass by a 53-32 margin including 21 offensive rebounds. In that game no Tar Heel managed more than six boards.Curing the rebounding woes will be no simple task especially if Breland misses games. The junior forward is leading the team with 7.2 rebounds per game this season just ahead of McCants. McCants will need to keep up her production while also staying clear of foul trouble. She was sorely missed as she sat on the bench with four fouls against Maryland and she picked up her fifth soon after re-entering — her third foul-out of the season which leads the team.Iman McFarland who missed two games with an ankle injury and returned Jan. 22 at Georgia Tech has started most of the year primarily because of her rebounding.She averages fewer than five points per game but ranks third on the team with 5.3 rebounds per contest.Hatchell also could turn to Christina Dewitt a 6-foot-2-inch junior who has performed well in a reserve role at times but saw only four minutes combined in the last two games. Dewitt led the team with nine rebounds against UVa. in only 12 minutes.But the bottom line is that no matter who gets playing time" the Tar Heels need better production on the glass up and down the roster.""We've got to play even more physical and tougher"" Hatchell said. The game at Georgia Tech was extremely physical.""We've got to react to that. We've got to play a lot tougher"" but we're learning.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
North Carolina takes the court tonight against Virginia a dangerous team that's ranked No. 14 in the country and already knocked off perennial championship contender Tennessee this season. By any measure it's an important game for the No. 2 Tar Heels as they begin a difficult stretch of their conference schedule.But it's not the reason UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell has to contend with a horde of media descending on Chapel Hill this weekend. That's because three days after UVa. leaves town her team will take on No. 1 Connecticut in a mid-season showdown that quite literally couldn't be any bigger.Connecticut and North Carolina have been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 for eight straight weeks. The teams are the top two in scoring offense" with Connecticut leading the nation at 88.2 points per game. They've both won against top-5 competition this season — and they're both undefeated.""We got two press conferences set up" and we got two ESPN interviews — I mean it's just unbelievable" Hatchell said Thursday. I'm just glad we're a part of it.""The 1-vs.-2 match-up is nothing out of the ordinary in this series. All five UNC-Connecticut meetings since 2001 have included one team ranked in the top 10 and three times — most recently in 2008 — both were in that top-tier category.""Of course" Connecticut that's year in and year out" Hatchell said. That's like a national championship game.""The two teams have more in common than their hype. Both get up and down the court quickly and get plenty of fast break chances. They have similar depth — each has eight players who average 15 minutes or more" though UNC gets more of its scoring from the bench.A key part of that bench play has been Chay Shegog who has impressed Hatchell with her progress so far this year. The freshman center who stands at 6 feet 5 inches averages only 17.5 minutes and 8.5 points per game and has not started a game because she has yet to pass one of Hatchell's conditioning requirements.But that hasn't prevented her from playing a major role in some of UNC's toughest wins this season.Shegog likely will match up against the Huskies' leading rebounder" 6-foot-4-inch center Tina Charles — one of the few players on whom Shegog doesn't have a large size advantage. But Hatchell said that won't be a problem for the aggressive freshman.""When she's come up against opposition inside" she has accepted the challenge she said. And she's got basketball intelligence. You can show her and tell her something" and she goes and does it. Not all of them can do that.""Meanwhile" UNC's defense will have to focus on All-America forward Maya Moore" who leads the Huskies in scoring. ""Maya Moore" there's no doubt she's the best player in the country" Hatchell said. It'd be worth the price of admission to come Monday night just to see her.""If UNC beats Virginia and the Huskies defeat Syracuse" Monday's winner certainly will take the top spot in the rankings. But more importantly at least for Hatchell" the game will provide a chance for UNC to take stock of itself near the midway point of the season.""We're gonna find out what we're made out of"" she said. It's going to be a great challenge for us.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
DEC. 7 CARY — Forward Casey Nogueira had shown all season that she was one of the top players in the country. But Nogueira's 23 goals in 27 games would be little consolation if her team scored none in the national championship game.So on her sport's biggest stage Nogueira proved her worth — twice.The first a bullet of a free kick just after halftime tied the game.The second a hanging ball shot from a narrow angle" cruised just enough to get over Notre Dame goalkeeper Kelsey Lysander's fingertips while still dipping under the crossbar on its way into the back of the net.Those two goals by Nogueira — one with each foot — were enough to earn North Carolina a 2-1 victory against Notre Dame on Dec. 7 to secure UNC's 19th NCAA championship and 20th national title. ""On the greatest platform that we have" which is the championship final she scored two of the most phenomenal goals I've ever seen" coach Anson Dorrance said. Nogueira was honored with the Honda Sports Award as the best women's soccer player in the country after the season.But despite Nogueira's showcase, it was the Tar Heels (25-1-2) who were wide-eyed to start the final at WakeMed Soccer Park on a windy Sunday afternoon.Notre Dame's Kerri Hanks put her team ahead only 16 seconds after the starting whistle when the Irish took the opening possession directly to the goal. We were a little bit cold. We were caught flat-footed" and I think they took advantage of it" goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris said.The Tar Heels were ready for Notre Dame's near-reckless physical play, as the Irish took a grueling 1-0 win in Chapel Hill on Sept. 9 for UNC's only loss in 2008.That match was also the only time all season that UNC was held scoreless, which was an achievement in itself only a year after the lowest-scoring season in school history. But Dorrance recruited a class full of attacking talent and the Tar Heels registered a very respectable 3.18 goals per game average, thanks to the arrival of strikers Courtney Jones, Jessica McDonald and a solid group of reserves.The veteran coach also moved a veteran striker, Whitney Engen, to center back in a somewhat risky move. Engen slipped right into the role and led the defense, despite a broken wrist, in the Tar Heels' unforgiving climb to the title. They came from behind and won in double overtime against Texas A&M; in the third round, and they had to beat two undefeated teams in the College Cup to win it all.It was the best competition I could have hoped for in a national championship"" Nogueira said.The Tar Heels won it all while missing two of the top players on their roster. Nikki Washington and Meghan Klingenberg, who scored 12 goals and 10 assists combined in the regular season, missed the entire NCAA tournament. The duo were playing for the U.S. team in the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Chile while their teammates fought through the competition at the College Cup.The final added another layer to a deepening rivalry with the Irish, who have met the Tar Heels in the postseason three years running. That streak includes a third-round UNC loss at Fetzer Field in 2007 and the 2006 title game.The Tar Heels won that game (by an identical score) so nearly half of this year's squad had already had a championship experience against the Irish.One thing we definitely remember from playing them is how physical they are"" Harris said. They battle the whole 90 minutes. It was a bit of a shock when we played them the last two times.""The win gave Dorrance his 20th title in 30 years as head coach of the Tar Heels only a year after one of the team's earliest exits from the NCAA Tournament ever.The veteran coach" asked what he would remember about this year's squad" could speak only about the team's remarkable chemistry.""The only way I could get the kids to shut up in the pregame is if I threatened to throw people out. This team has a wonderful kind of joyous anarchy" Dorrance said. I'm certainly not in control of it" but it was one of the most joyful seasons ever.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
A year ago today the North Carolina women's soccer team saw its season come to a close in only the third round of the NCAA tournament. Those Tar Heels were stunned as they took the earliest exit from the postseason in school history.Sunday the 2008 Tar Heels were all smiles as they cleared that hurdle with a 3-0 win against Illinois (12-9-2). UNC easily advanced to the round of eight with teamwork and a bit of luck.With the game scoreless late in the first half Tobin Heath found Casey Nogueira running into the box and fed her the ball.Nogueira's low shot was saved by the Illini keeper but it rolled out to the left where Illinois defender Emily Zurrer inadvertently tapped it straight back into Illinois' goal.Nogueira the ACC's Offensive Player of the Year" gave the credit to her teammate.""It was all basically Tobin. She was running across the midfield" and I knew she was looking for someone to get in or someone to get wide Nogueira said. So I just ran across the defense and she found a seam" and luckily I was onsides.""Nogueira had 10 of the Tar Heels' 17 shots and was responsible for two of the three goals. But even as the centerpiece of UNC's offense" Nogueira wanted to point to teamwork as the reason for the team's success. And while team chemistry won't put anything on the scoreboard" all the Tar Heels (22-1-2) spoke about how well the squad worked together against the Illini.""Really" when our back line is stepping up and our forwards are doubling back we have it easy midfielder Yael Averbuch said. I mean yeah it's hard work for us closing people down but we're surrounded basically by our teammates who are working hard" so our job was not as hard today as it could have been.""Averbuch broke a school record for starts with her 102nd consecutive game. But the senior was happy for freshman teammate Rachel Wood" who scored the second goal of her career to put the Tar Heels up 2-0.Wood hit a long shot from 20 yards out on the left side all the way across the box" where it hit the right post and rolled in. ""Rachel's been working on it every day" with all of us and when she hit it I knew it was a good shot and it had a good chance of going in" Averbuch said.That goal all but sealed the win as the Tar Heels had dominated ball control since the early minutes.UNC led 12-1 in shots at the time of that score and played all of its reserves down the stretch.Coach Anson Dorrance's only regret in the game was that it had to come at the expense of a friend. Janet Rayfield, the Illinois women's soccer coach, was Dorrance's first recruit at UNC and was a captain on the team that won the Tar Heels' first NCAA title in 1982.The only Tar Heels to play the full 90 minutes during the chilly evening were the three members of the back line, who were able to lock down the Illini strikers for UNC's seventh straight shutout.But center back Whitney Engen placed the credit on the reserves.They play defense" and they win all the balls up front and they tackle hard Engen said.When they do that" it makes our job so easy. A shutout isn't just the defense's win. It's a team effort.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
After racing past Western Carolina and Virginia Commonwealth in the opening rounds of the Preseason WNIT North Carolina looks poised for a collision with No. 4 Oklahoma in the tournament's final two games down the road. The Tar Heels (2-0) looked fully worthy of their preseason No. 6 ranking as they cruised past Western Carolina in a 90-56 win Friday and outran VCU on Sunday for a 77-65 victory.Despite showing that they could handle and dribble through UNC's full-court press the VCU Rams (1-1) couldn't match the Tar Heels' scoring pace. UNC took control of the game with a 14-4 run before halftime" and the Rams couldn't cut the lead to single digits in the second half.""This is a great team" it wasn't gonna be easy. And so we just had to get that fire under ourselves and I think we finally did in that last little run at the half" senior Heather Claytor said.Coach Sylvia Hatchell continued to spread the minutes around at every position, both to keep the team fresh and to give everyone court experience as freshmen and reserves settle into their roles. But in both games, she wanted her team to be more focused in the second half.We can't just go on cruise control like that" Hatchell said. We‘ve got to keep playing and as I substitute" we've got to be able to keep the intensity level.""Eleven different Tar Heels played in the first half Sunday" and only two players — point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid and forward Rashanda McCants — played more than 20 minutes in either game on the weekend.DeGraffenreid who converted steals into wide-open layups about three times per game set the tone for the Tar Heels' defense this season with a monster eight steals Friday and five more Sunday.Even with the constant rotation both the Tar Heels' starting post players fouled out as VCU took the ball inside early and often. That kind of loss could leave the Tar Heels in a bind in a postseason tournament game" but Hatchell was confident it was a problem that could be fixed — and UNC's depth made it easy to compensate. ""They're in there trying to block shots and all that stuff" and we just need to keep our feet on the ground and take charges" Hatchell said.In the season opener Friday, UNC buried Western Carolina (0-1) with outside shooting early. By the time the Lady Catamounts called their first timeout, less than five minutes in, the score was already 21-2, and UNC had made four 3-pointers.The team finished 10-for-16 from behind the arc from an array of different shooters. Four guards made two from long range, and UNC stayed hot on jump shots for the rest of the game as the Tar Heels cruised to a 90-56 victory.I'm not crazy about us taking that many threes" but you know we've been making 'em Hatchell said. This is a very good shooting team" maybe one of the best we've ever had. I knew that from practices.""The game was also the opening round of the WNIT" which features Oklahoma as the top team on the other side of the 16-squad bracket.The Tar Heels need to beat Xavier to make the finals but even if they don't reach the high-profile matchup with the Sooners there's still plenty of tournament experience to be gained for the team's freshmen.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
North Carolina took a 16-0 start and cruised to an easy exhibition win Friday against the Premier Players.UNC's full-court press generated a bounty of turnovers for the Tar Heels as they controlled the pace of the game.The Tar Heels were never threatened in the 99-69 victory and subbed generously throughout the game. Other than starting point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid no player had more than 22 minutes as coach Sylvia Hatchell spread out the playing time. Fifteen steals off 31 Premier Players turnovers gave the Tar Heels their fair share of fast break opportunities" but Hatchell said the press still has plenty of work to be done.""Getting in the right place" their angles their traps sprinting back out of the traps everything really Hatchell said.On a scale of one to ten" (we're at) probably six to seven.""Freshman Laura Broomfield showed remarkable shooting touch for a 6-footer and scored 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting.The rookie forward from Lexington Park" Md." came off the bench and caught defenders off guard with her outside shot.She made two long baseline jumpers from the right side and a 3-pointer from the top of the key in one two-minute stretch before halftime.""People don't really hear about her or know her story" but she's worked hard on her game her shots" senior Rashanda McCants said. She's going to surprise a lot more people.""Broomfield wasn't the only player with a hot shooting night. McCants lead all scorers with 20 points and sophomore Italee Lucas went 5-for-7 on 3-pointers.Lucas looked comfortable in the shooting guard position after being forced to play at the point during much of last year.The Tar Heels steadily built their lead to a peak of 40 midway through the second half.Freshman Chay Shegog helped UNC maintain the margin with three blocks in just 13 minutes of game time. ""She's a heck of a defender" and she's only going to get better" said Broomfield, who played with Shegog on an AAU team before both came to UNC.She's a good shot blocker"" she moves her feet well for her size.""Shegog" who stands at 6 feet 5 inches had the same number of blocks in the squad's first exhibition game.This time she also added 10 points on 12 shots all from close range and showed a nose for the offensive glass. The freshman was able to find her rhythm despite a slow start" as she missed her first three attempts.""She just needs experience" she's just gotta square up with her shot Hatchell said. She was only 5-for-12" but she got 12 shots. We're gonna get her the ball.""The Tar Heels take on Western Carolina in the preseason WNIT on Friday in the Smith Center.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.