128 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/26/08 4:00am)
After a first half in which the normally explosive North Carolina women's basketball team was largely held in check by a feisty Georgia squad, the Tar Heels discovered their best offensive strategy coming out of the break.
A ferocious defense.
UNC came out of the break wanting the basketball back on every defensive possession. And for a while the team got it back every time.
The first four Georgia possessions of the second half resulted in three UNC steals and a block. All of them led to North Carolina buckets on the other end.
After LaToya Pringle's block was gathered by Heather Claytor and winged forward to a streaking Cetera DeGraffenreid for a layup, Georgia was forced to call a timeout to stop the bleeding.
The Tar Heels had racked up 18 unanswered points - eight in the second half - and taken a 44-33 lead with just more than 18 minutes remaining. And they wouldn't look back from there.
"It's something we talked about in the locker room, and our objective was to have them call a timeout in the first few minutes," said senior Erlana Larkins, who often looked like a free safety hunting down the ball. "And I think we did a great job of doing that."
UNC netted just nine points off 10 turnovers in the first half and managed only one steal. But after dialing up the intensity for the second period, the ball-hawking unit finished with nine steals.
And more importantly, North Carolina translated the 14 second-half Bulldog turnovers into 20 points on the other end.
"I think it forced them to do things they weren't comfortable with," McCants said. "That was our objective - to make them uncomfortable and do things that they weren't usually used to doing. And they turned the ball over a lot."
The whole team got into the act, with Larkins, Pringle, Claytor and Rashanda McCants all snatching two steals. Pringle also added three blocks. Many of DeGraffenreid's 13 points and four assists came in the transition game after these takeaways.
On a night in which the halfcourt offense was altered by Georgia's superior size on the interior - Larkins and Pringle shot just 32 percent from the field - UNC's transition game became more important.
UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said the stretch at the beginning of the second half was crucial to coming away with the victory and advancing to the Sweet 16.
"We came out the second half, in the first three or four minutes, like we should have played the whole game," Hatchell said.
And she said it was especially important since the inside game was not having its typical success against the Georgia bigs.
"We couldn't score inside like we've been scoring all year.
"When one thing is taken away, some of the other ones take over. And that was something that helped us today."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/20/08 4:00am)
They say that to truly know a person, you have to walk in her shoes. But in the case of Rashanda McCants, all you have to do is read them.
And to understand the No. 1 seeded North Carolina women's basketball team as it prepares for Sunday's NCAA Tournament opener, you need to know Rashanda McCants.
(03/19/08 4:00am)
When a lacrosse team faces a man-down situation because of a penalty, it typically tries to dig in on defense and escape without allowing a goal.
But Tuesday, No. 5 North Carolina went on the offensive, netting three shorthanded goals en route to a 12-3 victory against visiting Marist.
This shorthanded offense is not easy to come by - last year's version of the Tar Heels did not score a man-down goal all year.
These goals weren't the only unusual UNC scores in the sloppy game at Fetzer Field. The Tar Heels also notched four goals with a man advantage, two open net scores and two players' first career goals.
Junior attackman Bart Wagner attributed UNC's advantage to athleticism.
"I just think running by people," he said. "We know that we're more athletic than other teams, and we know that if they're going to try to double us, we're going to run by them."
Wagner did just that on his way to game-high totals of four goals and two assists. He scored the first goal of the second half when he was double-teamed with the Tar Heels a man down. He split the double team, sliced to the net and put it away.
The goal put UNC up 9-3 in a second half that would feature four Tar Heel goals to zero Red Fox scores.
Junior midfielder Ben Hunt said the defensive unit focused on discipline to turn in the second half shutout.
"Our defense came out a little shaky in the first half, and we adjusted well at halftime," he said. "Our defense came out strong, and we capitalized when we got those man-down goals."
Hunt was one of nine Tar Heels to find the scoring column and also added an assist.
Redshirt junior Grant Zimmerman recorded nine saves and combined with Chris Madalon to keep the Red Foxes scoreless after the break.
But even with the win, the Tar Heels have a lot to improve upon. They turned the ball over 14 times, had two failed clears in the fourth quarter and totaled eight penalties for a combined 10:30 of penalty time.
UNC coach John Haus was quick to point out his team's issues.
"The six-on-six offensive end was not real good," he said. "I didn't think our transition game was sharp, and that's got to get better. We had some lapses on the defensive end, some fouls that we just can't commit and some inside goals."
UNC will have to address these needs in a hurry, as they play host to No. 9 Maryland on Saturday in a key conference matchup.
But Haus said the focus will shift to the Terrapins at today's practice to prepare, and the Tar Heels will put the sloppy win behind them.
"In some areas we did get better, but at a lot we didn't, and we'll get it straightened out. I know the guys will be excited to play Saturday against an ACC opponent."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/17/08 4:00am)
GREENSBORO - As the three-time defending champion of the ACC Tournament and the owner of a perfect 14-0 regular season conference record, the North Carolina women's basketball team entered this year's conference tournament with some lofty expectations.
And they didn't disappoint.
The Tar Heels steamrolled through three more ACC foes, including Duke in the finals, to bring home their fourth consecutive ACC title.
"This is the second historical record that we've set in the past two weeks," tournament MVP Erlana Larkins said. "We finished out the ACC 14-0, we had a great Senior Night, and then we come out here and face some great competition, and we win the ACC Championship."
UNC took the crown in dominant fashion, defeating Clemson, Virginia and then Duke in the championship game by a combined margin of 48 points.
Larkins was joined on the All-Tournament teams by Rashanda McCants and LaToya Pringle (first team), as well as Cetera DeGraffenreid (second team).
But it was an effort that went nine players deep that brought UNC the title again.
"The strength of our team is our depth and our balance, and they're so unselfish," coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "They don't care who scores, as long as we win. And that's what makes them a championship team."
Larkins scored 56 points in the tournament, including 25 in the quarterfinals and featuring a stat line of 14 points and 15 rebounds against Virginia.
But even she said it was the team's balance that allowed her to turn in her MVP performance.
"I think everybody's contribution has just taken the pressure off myself," she said. "To have people night-in and night-out have at least a minimum of 10 points or better has done a lot for me, and it's done a lot for the team. It's opened up things inside as well as outside."
The win completed an impressive feat for Larkins and Pringle, who helped UNC to win the last four ACC titles. The duo never lost in Greensboro.
And on the flip side, freshman point guard DeGraffenreid continued to play at a level that exceeds her age. She scored 17 points and turned the ball over only once in the championship game, and she has led the UNC offense in the absence of injured senior Alex Miller.
"Cetera has not gotten the credit I think she deserves for leading our team and running our team, because she's just a great kid," Hatchell said. "She's just real solid and real steady."
With the ACC Tournament taken care of, the Tar Heels now will set their sights on their first NCAA championship since 1994.
UNC will discover its seeding when the brackets are unveiled 7 p.m. today on ESPN.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/28/08 5:00am)
After earning its first top-25 ranking of the season, the North Carolina softball team should have entered Wednesday's contest with Elon with all the momentum in the world.
But for the first five innings, it didn't play like it. After UNC's bats were uncharacteristically silent through the first five frames, the No. 23 Tar Heels came alive in the sixth to score nine runs en route to a 9-1 win at Anderson Stadium.
(02/28/08 5:00am)
After earning its first top-25 ranking of the season the North Carolina softball team should have entered Wednesday's contest with Elon with all the momentum in the world.But for the first five innings it didn't play like it. After UNC's bats were uncharacteristically silent through the first five frames the No. 23 Tar Heels came alive in the sixth to score nine runs en route to a 9-1 win at Anderson Stadium.The rally was started by a Breanna Brown single and then the merry-go-round started on the basepaths. The inning included four RBI singles and an RBI double" and it was capped by a three-run home run by third baseman Alyssa Francona.""I think a lot of times it just takes one person kind of breaking it open" UNC coach Donna J. Papa said.It's kind of a momentum thing and I think Bree Brown did a really good job of getting that inning started. Then Cassie (Palmer) put a nice bunt down" and then we just had some timely hits.""But the rally" though impressive came much later than Papa would have liked.The Tar Heels (13-3) have been an early-inning team this year. Entering Wednesday UNC had scored 66 runs in the first two innings to just 10 in the last two. But against Elon (6-5)" it took a little longer.""I don't think we were as disciplined as we normally are"" Papa said. I told them I was really disappointed because I feel like we didn't respect our opponent today. We went through the motions for five innings.""The 1-0 deficit the Tar Heels faced could have been worse. Starting pitcher Amber Johnson was pulled after allowing the lone Elon run in three innings of work. But then freshman Faith Sutton came in and shut the door on the Phoenix bats.She pitched three innings and allowed just one hit"" striking out six batters and keeping her season 0.00 ERA intact.""I just went as hard as I could" and just tried to keep it off the plate a little bit" Sutton said. And then go right at them instead of keeping the count high.""With Sutton keeping Elon at bay" the door was open for a comeback. Emily Troup's blooper scored Brown to tie the game at one apiece and then a Whitney Allen seeing-eye single got through the left side of the infield to knock across the go-ahead run.Up by a run Francona stepped to the plate. One moonshot over the right-centerfield wall later the Tar Heels were in the driver's seat with a four-run lead. And they didn't look back" adding four more in the frame.""I was just trying to put the ball in play" and I knew we had some girls on base" Francona said of the home run. Some of the pressure was off because we had already scored the winning run. I just wanted to keep the rally going.""SoftballElon1UNC 9Six InningsContact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/19/08 5:00am)
Close to midway through the first half of Sunday's game against Florida State, two North Carolina freshmen made a rookie mistake.
Winning 31-18, the Tar Heels were running a full-court press after every made basket. So after Rebecca Gray hit a free throw, UNC set up its defense.
But Gray and fellow frosh Italee Lucas allowed FSU's Tanae Davis-Cain to streak downcourt and receive a football-style inbound pass for an easy layup.
UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell was less than pleased, to put it lightly. She immediately called a timeout, during which she chewed out her two young guards.
But the duo would respond.
Shortly after the stoppage, Lucas drew a foul and drained both freebies. Then, after she missed two more free throws and a Seminole knocked the rebound out of bounds, Lucas corralled her own missed 3-pointer and scored in the paint.
She would finish the game with eight points off the bench. After the game, Hatchell was more pleased with the play of her two young guards.
"I told Italee, we gotta get her ready for some of the big games," Hatchell said. "I've been trying to play her more and trying to help her with her decision making, because she's made some big shots."
Hatchell was complimentary of the way Gray responded in the game as well.
"I thought Rebecca Gray played well," she said. "She did some nice things out there for us. She was 3-for-4, nine points and just had a nice game."
While it has been fellow freshman Cetera DeGraffenreid who's been the recipient of most of the hype and ink this year, the contributions of these two will be key down the stretch as contests against both Tobacco Road rivals loom before the postseason.
Both freshmen have had to overcome obstacles this year. For Gray, it was a stress fracture in her foot that caused her to miss four games in January. Sunday's performance was her best since returning to the court.
And the flashy Lucas has battled a tendency to turn the ball over on her frequent no-look passes and crossovers. Her 0.74-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio calls her decision-making abilities into question, and her five turnovers against the Seminoles were above her average of about 3.5 per contest.
Senior star Erlana Larkins pointed out an area of improvement that the freshmen have worked on since the beginning of the year. She said that they have improved their entry passes to her in the post.
"They're doing a better job of throwing the ball in there when they can see my numbers, figuring out where to pass it. . I just think they're understanding me more, and where and when to pass the ball."
If the pair is able to stay healthy and contribute solid minutes, allowing DeGraffenreid to stay fresh, the Tar Heels could be a dangerous foe come tournament time.
"The balance of our team - just everybody can contribute," Hatchell said.
"And that's what we need those freshmen to do."
Contact the Sports Editor
at sports@unc.edu.
(02/19/08 5:00am)
Close to midway through the first half of Sunday's game against Florida State two North Carolina freshmen made a rookie mistake.Winning 31-18 the Tar Heels were running a full-court press after every made basket. So after Rebecca Gray hit a free throw UNC set up its defense.But Gray and fellow frosh Italee Lucas allowed FSU's Tanae Davis-Cain to streak downcourt and receive a football-style inbound pass for an easy layup.UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell was less than pleased to put it lightly. She immediately called a timeout during which she chewed out her two young guards.But the duo would respond.Shortly after the stoppage Lucas drew a foul and drained both freebies. Then after she missed two more free throws and a Seminole knocked the rebound out of bounds Lucas corralled her own missed 3-pointer and scored in the paint.She would finish the game witheight points off the bench. After the game" Hatchell was more pleased with the play of her two young guards.""I told Italee" we gotta get her ready for some of the big games Hatchell said. I've been trying to play her more and trying to help her with her decision making" because she's made some big shots.""Hatchell was complimentary of the way Gray responded in the game as well.""I thought Rebecca Gray played well" she said. She did some nice things out there for us. She was 3-for-4" nine points and just had a nice game.""While it has been fellow freshman Cetera DeGraffenreid who's been the recipient of most of the hype and ink this year" the contributions of these two will be key down the stretch as contests against both Tobacco Road rivals loom before the postseason.Both freshmen have had to overcome obstacles this year. For Gray it was a stress fracture in her foot that caused her to miss four games in January. Sunday's performance was her best since returning to the court.And the flashy Lucas has battled a tendency to turn the ball over on her frequent no-look passes and crossovers. Her 0.74-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio calls her decision-making abilities into question" and her five turnovers against the Seminoles were above her average of about 3.5 per contest.Senior star Erlana Larkins pointed out an area of improvement that the freshmen have worked on since the beginning of the year. She said that they have improved their entry passes to her in the post.""They're doing a better job of throwing the ball in there when they can see my numbers" figuring out where to pass it. ... I just think they're understanding me more" and where and when to pass the ball.""If the pair is able to stay healthy and contribute solid minutes" allowing DeGraffenreid to stay fresh" the Tar Heels could be a dangerous foe come tournament time.""The balance of our team - just everybody can contribute"" Hatchell said.And that's what we need those freshmen to do.""Contact the Sports Editorat sports@unc.edu.
(02/18/08 5:00am)
A quick scan of the North Carolina bench in the closing minutes of Sunday's win against Florida State showed what looked more like a hospital ward than a basketball team.
The usual suspects were there. Alex Miller - out for the year - never got out of her warm-up shirt, and Iman McFarland wore a full-arm sleeve to protect an injured elbow. And of course, Erlana Larkins' broken hand remained extensively wrapped.
But Sunday threw two more blows at an already reeling UNC squad. Senior center LaToya Pringle bruised her left hand, and junior guard Rashanda McCants went down with a bruised shin. Both iced down their injuries on the sideline as the Tar Heels cruised to victory.
"That's why you have 12 or 13 players, I guess," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "That's why I stay on 'em all the time, even the ones coming off the bench. They gotta be ready anytime."
Pringle was injured with 17:00 remaining in the second half, when she received a cross-court pass and went up for a layup but was undercut by a Florida State player.
With her legs taken out from under her, she collapsed to the floor and landed on her hand, much like McFarland did Jan. 31 at Wake Forest. The injury is centered on her last two fingers, which she had X-rayed after the game.
But as Hatchell pointed out, an injured hand has worked wonders for one Tar Heel already this year.
"If (Pringle) reacts like Erlana - I don't know how much better she can get, but she may become a better player," Hatchell quipped.
Then, with about 5:24 left on the clock, the Tar Heels had their scrappiest possession of the ballgame. McCants, Martina Wood, Jessica Breland and Trinity Bursey worked the offensive glass hard, grabbing multiple rebounds before Breland finally muscled it in.
But when the debris cleared, McCants remained on the ground, grabbing her leg.
"It got hit real bad," she said. "But I'm all right - it isn't that big."
And since it had been a whole two days since she was last shaken up at Virginia, Larkins got in on the act, as well. After sprinting to try to steal a pass near the sideline, the senior's momentum carried her out of bounds and over the scoring table.
"I just got over there so quickly that I didn't even see the table," she said. "And then I guess I cleared everything out. What I do remember is falling on that chair, which wasn't a good feeling."
Multiple Tar Heels and Hatchell ran over to check on her, and as usual, Larkins bounced back up.
Still, with only three games left on the schedule before the postseason, the Tar Heels will need to get healthy in a hurry.
"I'm concerned about LaToya's hand and Rashanda," Hatchell said.
"You never know what's going to happen, and it makes a big difference. We wrap 'em up, and they play."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/18/08 5:00am)
A quick scan of the North Carolina bench in the closing minutes of Sunday's win against Florida State showed what looked more like a hospital ward than a basketball team.The usual suspects were there. Alex Miller - out for the year - never got out of her warm-up shirt and Iman McFarland wore a full-arm sleeve to protect an injured elbow. And of course Erlana Larkins' broken hand remained extensively wrapped.But Sunday threw two more blows at an already reeling UNC squad. Senior center LaToya Pringle bruised her left hand" and junior guard Rashanda McCants went down with a bruised shin. Both iced down their injuries on the sideline as the Tar Heels cruised to victory.""That's why you have 12 or 13 players" I guess UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. That's why I stay on 'em all the time" even the ones coming off the bench. They gotta be ready anytime.""Pringle was injured with 17:00 remaining in the second half" when she received a cross-court pass and went up for a layup but was undercut by a Florida State player.With her legs taken out from under her she collapsed to the floor and landed on her hand much like McFarland did Jan. 31 at Wake Forest. The injury is centered on her last two fingers which she had X-rayed after the game.But as Hatchell pointed out" an injured hand has worked wonders for one Tar Heel already this year.""If (Pringle) reacts like Erlana - I don't know how much better she can get" but she may become a better player" Hatchell quipped.Then, with about 5:24 left on the clock, the Tar Heels had their scrappiest possession of the ballgame. McCants, Martina Wood, Jessica Breland and Trinity Bursey worked the offensive glass hard, grabbing multiple rebounds before Breland finally muscled it in.But when the debris cleared, McCants remained on the ground, grabbing her leg.It got hit real bad"" she said. But I'm all right - it isn't that big.""And since it had been a whole two days since she was last shaken up at Virginia" Larkins got in on the act as well. After sprinting to try to steal a pass near the sideline" the senior's momentum carried her out of bounds and over the scoring table.""I just got over there so quickly that I didn't even see the table" she said. And then I guess I cleared everything out. What I do remember is falling on that chair" which wasn't a good feeling.""Multiple Tar Heels and Hatchell ran over to check on her" and as usual Larkins bounced back up.Still with only three games left on the schedule before the postseason" the Tar Heels will need to get healthy in a hurry.""I'm concerned about LaToya's hand and Rashanda" Hatchell said.You never know what's going to happen and it makes a big difference. We wrap 'em up" and they play.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Erlana Larkins hobbled into the postgame news conference after Friday's win at Virginia looking as though she had been through a war.
She wore bags of ice around both ankles and another one around her knee. And that's not to mention the usual bandages and wrappings that make her broken left hand look more like a club.
"Is it that rough coming in after every game?" a surprised reporter asked her.
"Man," she said and sighed as she shook her head.
She had nothing more to say about her aches and pains at the time, but her game spoke for itself Friday. Larkins scored 21 points and tied a season-high by hauling in 18 rebounds, with ten coming on the offensive end.
It was her eighth double-double of the year and her third in a row. But she had to do fight an inspired Virginia team and a host of injuries to do it.
"I just come in expecting a battle," she said. "I didn't expect to get beat down like this tonight, but hey, you just have to pick yourself up and keep going."
Larkins appeared to tweak her ankle multiple times during the game, the worst of which came in the second half. On the defensive end, she hit the floor and stayed down momentarily, clutching at her ankle.
But like every other time she went down Friday, the senior bounced back up. And though she was hobbled for a few plays, she did not come out of the game.
"She's just a warrior - she's like that," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said.
"Most players in the country wouldn't even be out there playing. She didn't miss a game with a broken hand since she broke it. She just has a passion and a love for the game, and she wants to win. She's going to do whatever it takes."
Larkins was instrumental in UNC's 90-82 win Friday, especially in a very sloppy first half for the Tar Heels. She scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards in the period, and she swatted two of her eventual three blocked shots.
She also dished out three assists on the night and helped fellow senior LaToya Pringle to a game-high 28 points.
"She attracts so much attention from basically every team we play," Pringle said. "So when they go to double, I think me and her kind of established where we need to be in order to get easy layups."
Even banged-up and covered in ice packs, Larkins still retained her sense of humor. Asked how she managed to still put up her lofty stats, she pointed to her right hand - quite possibly her last healthy limb - and said, "This hand."
The senior will have to keep battling her way through the remaining schedule and into the quickly approaching postseason. But she has the right motivation to put her pain in perspective.
"Right now, it's the love," she said of what's keeping her on the court. "I can't explain it any better than that. I just love playing basketball."
Contact the Sports Editor
at sports@unc.edu.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
CHARLOTTESVILLE" Va. - Erlana Larkins hobbled into the postgame news conference after Friday's win at Virginia looking as though she had been through a war.She wore bags of ice around both ankles and another one around her knee. And that's not to mention the usual bandages and wrappings that make her broken left hand look more like a club.""Is it that rough coming in after every game?"" a surprised reporter asked her.""Man"" she said and sighed as she shook her head.She had nothing more to say about her aches and pains at the time, but her game spoke for itself Friday. Larkins scored 21 points and tied a season-high by hauling in 18 rebounds, with ten coming on the offensive end.It was her eighth double-double of the year and her third in a row. But she had to do fight an inspired Virginia team and a host of injuries to do it.I just come in expecting a battle" she said. I didn't expect to get beat down like this tonight but hey" you just have to pick yourself up and keep going.""Larkins appeared to tweak her ankle multiple times during the game" the worst of which came in the second half. On the defensive end she hit the floor and stayed down momentarily clutching at her ankle.But like every other time she went down Friday the senior bounced back up. And though she was hobbled for a few plays" she did not come out of the game.""She's just a warrior - she's like that" UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said.Most players in the country wouldn't even be out there playing. She didn't miss a game with a broken hand since she broke it. She just has a passion and a love for the game" and she wants to win. She's going to do whatever it takes.""Larkins was instrumental in UNC's 90-82 win Friday" especially in a very sloppy first half for the Tar Heels. She scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards in the period" and she swatted two of her eventual three blocked shots.She also dished out three assists on the night and helped fellow senior LaToya Pringle to a game-high 28 points.""She attracts so much attention from basically every team we play" Pringle said. So when they go to double" I think me and her kind of established where we need to be in order to get easy layups.""Even banged-up and covered in ice packs" Larkins still retained her sense of humor. Asked how she managed to still put up her lofty stats she pointed to her right hand - quite possibly her last healthy limb - and said" ""This hand.""The senior will have to keep battling her way through the remaining schedule and into the quickly approaching postseason. But she has the right motivation to put her pain in perspective.""Right now" it's the love" she said of what's keeping her on the court. I can't explain it any better than that. I just love playing basketball.""Contact the Sports Editorat sports@unc.edu.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
CHARLOTTESVILLE" Va. - Erlana Larkins hobbled into the postgame news conference after Friday's win at Virginia looking as though she had been through a war.She wore bags of ice around both ankles and another one around her knee. And that's not to mention the usual bandages and wrappings that make her broken left hand look more like a club.""Is it that rough coming in after every game?"" a surprised reporter asked her.""Man"" she said and sighed as she shook her head.She had nothing more to say about her aches and pains at the time, but her game spoke for itself Friday. Larkins scored 21 points and tied a season-high by hauling in 18 rebounds, with ten coming on the offensive end.It was her eighth double-double of the year and her third in a row. But she had to do fight an inspired Virginia team and a host of injuries to do it.I just come in expecting a battle" she said. I didn't expect to get beat down like this tonight but hey" you just have to pick yourself up and keep going.""Larkins appeared to tweak her ankle multiple times during the game" the worst of which came in the second half. On the defensive end she hit the floor and stayed down momentarily clutching at her ankle.But like every other time she went down Friday the senior bounced back up. And though she was hobbled for a few plays" she did not come out of the game.""She's just a warrior - she's like that" UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said.Most players in the country wouldn't even be out there playing. She didn't miss a game with a broken hand since she broke it. She just has a passion and a love for the game" and she wants to win. She's going to do whatever it takes.""Larkins was instrumental in UNC's 90-82 win Friday" especially in a very sloppy first half for the Tar Heels. She scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards in the period" and she swatted two of her eventual three blocked shots.She also dished out three assists on the night and helped fellow senior LaToya Pringle to a game-high 28 points.""She attracts so much attention from basically every team we play" Pringle said. So when they go to double" I think me and her kind of established where we need to be in order to get easy layups.""Even banged-up and covered in ice packs" Larkins still retained her sense of humor. Asked how she managed to still put up her lofty stats she pointed to her right hand - quite possibly her last healthy limb - and said" ""This hand.""The senior will have to keep battling her way through the remaining schedule and into the quickly approaching postseason. But she has the right motivation to put her pain in perspective.""Right now" it's the love" she said of what's keeping her on the court. I can't explain it any better than that. I just love playing basketball.""Contact the Sports Editorat sports@unc.edu.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
CHARLOTTESVILLE" Va. - Erlana Larkins hobbled into the postgame news conference after Friday's win at Virginia looking as though she had been through a war.She wore bags of ice around both ankles and another one around her knee. And that's not to mention the usual bandages and wrappings that make her broken left hand look more like a club.""Is it that rough coming in after every game?"" a surprised reporter asked her.""Man"" she said and sighed as she shook her head.She had nothing more to say about her aches and pains at the time, but her game spoke for itself Friday. Larkins scored 21 points and tied a season-high by hauling in 18 rebounds, with ten coming on the offensive end.It was her eighth double-double of the year and her third in a row. But she had to do fight an inspired Virginia team and a host of injuries to do it.I just come in expecting a battle" she said. I didn't expect to get beat down like this tonight but hey" you just have to pick yourself up and keep going.""Larkins appeared to tweak her ankle multiple times during the game" the worst of which came in the second half. On the defensive end she hit the floor and stayed down momentarily clutching at her ankle.But like every other time she went down Friday the senior bounced back up. And though she was hobbled for a few plays" she did not come out of the game.""She's just a warrior - she's like that" UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said.Most players in the country wouldn't even be out there playing. She didn't miss a game with a broken hand since she broke it. She just has a passion and a love for the game" and she wants to win. She's going to do whatever it takes.""Larkins was instrumental in UNC's 90-82 win Friday" especially in a very sloppy first half for the Tar Heels. She scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards in the period" and she swatted two of her eventual three blocked shots.She also dished out three assists on the night and helped fellow senior LaToya Pringle to a game-high 28 points.""She attracts so much attention from basically every team we play" Pringle said. So when they go to double" I think me and her kind of established where we need to be in order to get easy layups.""Even banged-up and covered in ice packs" Larkins still retained her sense of humor. Asked how she managed to still put up her lofty stats she pointed to her right hand - quite possibly her last healthy limb - and said" ""This hand.""The senior will have to keep battling her way through the remaining schedule and into the quickly approaching postseason. But she has the right motivation to put her pain in perspective.""Right now" it's the love" she said of what's keeping her on the court. I can't explain it any better than that. I just love playing basketball.""Contact the Sports Editorat sports@unc.edu.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
CHARLOTTESVILLE" Va. - Erlana Larkins hobbled into the postgame news conference after Friday's win at Virginia looking as though she had been through a war.She wore bags of ice around both ankles and another one around her knee. And that's not to mention the usual bandages and wrappings that make her broken left hand look more like a club.""Is it that rough coming in after every game?"" a surprised reporter asked her.""Man"" she said and sighed as she shook her head.She had nothing more to say about her aches and pains at the time, but her game spoke for itself Friday. Larkins scored 21 points and tied a season-high by hauling in 18 rebounds, with ten coming on the offensive end.It was her eighth double-double of the year and her third in a row. But she had to do fight an inspired Virginia team and a host of injuries to do it.I just come in expecting a battle" she said. I didn't expect to get beat down like this tonight but hey" you just have to pick yourself up and keep going.""Larkins appeared to tweak her ankle multiple times during the game" the worst of which came in the second half. On the defensive end she hit the floor and stayed down momentarily clutching at her ankle.But like every other time she went down Friday the senior bounced back up. And though she was hobbled for a few plays" she did not come out of the game.""She's just a warrior - she's like that" UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said.Most players in the country wouldn't even be out there playing. She didn't miss a game with a broken hand since she broke it. She just has a passion and a love for the game" and she wants to win. She's going to do whatever it takes.""Larkins was instrumental in UNC's 90-82 win Friday" especially in a very sloppy first half for the Tar Heels. She scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards in the period" and she swatted two of her eventual three blocked shots.She also dished out three assists on the night and helped fellow senior LaToya Pringle to a game-high 28 points.""She attracts so much attention from basically every team we play" Pringle said. So when they go to double" I think me and her kind of established where we need to be in order to get easy layups.""Even banged-up and covered in ice packs" Larkins still retained her sense of humor. Asked how she managed to still put up her lofty stats she pointed to her right hand - quite possibly her last healthy limb - and said" ""This hand.""The senior will have to keep battling her way through the remaining schedule and into the quickly approaching postseason. But she has the right motivation to put her pain in perspective.""Right now" it's the love" she said of what's keeping her on the court. I can't explain it any better than that. I just love playing basketball.""Contact the Sports Editorat sports@unc.edu.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
CHARLOTTESVILLE" Va. - Erlana Larkins hobbled into the postgame news conference after Friday's win at Virginia looking as though she had been through a war.She wore bags of ice around both ankles and another one around her knee. And that's not to mention the usual bandages and wrappings that make her broken left hand look more like a club.""Is it that rough coming in after every game?"" a surprised reporter asked her.""Man"" she said and sighed as she shook her head.She had nothing more to say about her aches and pains at the time, but her game spoke for itself Friday. Larkins scored 21 points and tied a season-high by hauling in 18 rebounds, with ten coming on the offensive end.It was her eighth double-double of the year and her third in a row. But she had to do fight an inspired Virginia team and a host of injuries to do it.I just come in expecting a battle" she said. I didn't expect to get beat down like this tonight but hey" you just have to pick yourself up and keep going.""Larkins appeared to tweak her ankle multiple times during the game" the worst of which came in the second half. On the defensive end she hit the floor and stayed down momentarily clutching at her ankle.But like every other time she went down Friday the senior bounced back up. And though she was hobbled for a few plays" she did not come out of the game.""She's just a warrior - she's like that" UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said.Most players in the country wouldn't even be out there playing. She didn't miss a game with a broken hand since she broke it. She just has a passion and a love for the game" and she wants to win. She's going to do whatever it takes.""Larkins was instrumental in UNC's 90-82 win Friday" especially in a very sloppy first half for the Tar Heels. She scored 13 points and grabbed eight boards in the period" and she swatted two of her eventual three blocked shots.She also dished out three assists on the night and helped fellow senior LaToya Pringle to a game-high 28 points.""She attracts so much attention from basically every team we play" Pringle said. So when they go to double" I think me and her kind of established where we need to be in order to get easy layups.""Even banged-up and covered in ice packs" Larkins still retained her sense of humor. Asked how she managed to still put up her lofty stats she pointed to her right hand - quite possibly her last healthy limb - and said" ""This hand.""The senior will have to keep battling her way through the remaining schedule and into the quickly approaching postseason. But she has the right motivation to put her pain in perspective.""Right now" it's the love" she said of what's keeping her on the court. I can't explain it any better than that. I just love playing basketball.""Contact the Sports Editorat sports@unc.edu.
(01/28/08 5:00am)
Tyler Hansbrough is a rare commodity, and he might be the last of a dying breed.
His soft touch and sheer tenacity make him an excellent college basketball player. And as time goes by, he has been slowly ascending in the ranks of the UNC record books.
But there are a few more factors under the surface that have allowed him - and not some other great talents - to bulk up such an impressive resume.
Not only does Hansbrough love college basketball and college life, but he also doesn't fit the bill of the ideal professional prospect. At 6-foot-9, he lacks some of the size needed to distinguish him as a high lottery pick in the NBA draft.
The moral of the story? Hansbrough most likely will play at North Carolina four years.
A look around the world of college basketball will show how exceedingly rare it is to have an All-America caliber player willing to forego the fame and fortune of The League any longer than necessary. There has been a growing trend in recent years of the best talents kissing campus life goodbye early.
With the NBA's age rule instituted for the 2006 class, a player must be 19 years old to be draft eligible. This has prevented today's LeBrons and KGs from making the jump straight out of high school. But it has failed to get the Odens and Durants to stick around in college for more than the required year.
Last year, the recruiting site Rivals.com made its selections for its preseason All-America freshman teams. Of the 10 youngsters chosen by the site, six are no longer in college basketball.
In fact, of the 30 players drafted in the first round of the NBA draft, only six had completed the full four years of college basketball, and none of them were selected in the top 10. Eight draftees, including five of the top 10, had played just one year of college ball.
And what about this year's crop of college rookies? You've already heard from Kansas State's Michael Beasley, Indiana's Eric Gordon, UCLA's Kevin Love and USC's O.J. Mayo as they've lit up the college game thus far. But you'll most likely hear from them again when NBA commish David Stern hands them the traditional NBA team hats on this year's upcoming draft day.
This hit-and-run attitude toward college basketball has some lasting affects. First of all, a roadblock is built in the recruiting game. Historically, the major programs try to lock up the best talent available. But what happens one year later, when that blue-chip recruit flees to the NBA (see Greg Oden), and suddenly a team is left without its star (see unranked Ohio State)?
There is no doubt that basketball players today are only becoming more talented, and they're doing so at a younger age. There are 18-year-olds receiving their high school diplomas while Nike and Adidas battle for their shoe endorsements.
The fact is, we are all privileged to watch the caliber of basketball that is available today. But if this is all true, why is Phil Ford, who played in the less-talented era of the late 1970s, UNC's all-time leading scorer? Why not Vince Carter? Why not Antawn Jamison? Joseph Forte? Michael Jordan?
Easy. Phil Ford played at North Carolina for four years. None of the others did.
And why will it probably be Tyler Hansbrough that finally surpasses this record next year? Why not the ultra-quick Ty Lawson or sharpshooter Wayne Ellington?
Because only one likely will suit up in Carolina blue for a full four-year term.
All around the nation, single-season records will be shattered in the coming years. But some of the career marks might be safe as they stand. Try to imagine the damage Kevin Durant could have inflicted on some of college basketball's most prestigious career accomplishments. He could have been the most prolific scorer we've seen. And what if LeBron James had enrolled and stuck around?
But going back to Hansbrough, the big man has now racked up 1,726 points in his career after a season-high 35 against Miami on Wednesday. This puts him 14th on the Tar Heels' all-time list.
Call him old-fashioned for sticking around if you'd like, but make sure to watch closely. You might not see anything like it again.
Contact Mike Ehrlich at elmichae@email.unc.edu.
(01/18/08 5:00am)
For almost 15 minutes Thursday night, Boston College gave North Carolina a game.
But then the No. 3 Tar Heels fired up the ignition, switched on the jet burners and blew BC away with a 30-1 run.
UNC (17-1, 4-0 ) held the Eagles (14-5, 2-2) scoreless for the final 5:46 of the first half and then continued the spurt - interrupted only by a free throw - for about another five minutes.
"We started to really put pressure on the ball, and from that we got deflections and from those deflections, we were getting transition buckets," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said.
The offensive firepower during the run, as well as the rest of the game, started with freshman Cetera DeGraffenreid. The speedy point guard turned every UNC steal or defensive rebound into an instant fast break.
She scored a career-high 20 points, the majority of which came off drives to the basket and contested layups.
"Coach told me to drive instead of staying outside and not doing anything and passing the ball," DeGraffenreid said. "So I just drove and put the ball up."
Tar Heel junior Rashanda McCants was complimentary of DeGraffenreid's quick strikes to the hoop.
"You can't guard it," she said. "Anytime she does it, she's going to get a foul. Real good body control, it's kind of crazy - wish I had that."
BC defenders were having trouble guarding McCants herself. She used everything from 3-pointers to short put-backs to drop 19 points on the Eagles, including 10 in a row during the UNC burst.
Sophomore forward Jessica Breland came off the bench to contribute 18 points and nine boards, and junior Heather Claytor added 10 points.
UNC continued its tradition of utilizing pressure defense to dismantle the opposition. The Tar Heels pressed, trapped and jumped out in the Eagles' passing lanes to force 31 turnovers, which they converted to 25 points on the other end.
"You can't, with a team like this, throw the ball away," BC coach Cathy Inglese said.
"With Carolina you've got to take care of the ball. We threw the ball away, and they just capitalize on that quickly with layups."
Even with senior stars Erlana Larkins and LaToya Pringle held to five and six points, respectively, UNC still netted 48 points in the paint.
Just as important, the North Carolina bigs held Boston College freshmen standouts Stefanie Murphy and Carolyn Swords to a combined 15 points. The two stand at 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-6, respectively, and entered Thursday night averaging more than 32 per contest combined.
But even in a lopsided victory like the one UNC produced, Hatchell said the performance was not complete.
"I thought we had moments of brilliance out there where we looked really good," she said. "And then we had times where we got just really lethargic and we were just messing around, and I didn't like that."
The Eagles were unable to capitalize on UNC's sloppy periods, but the Tar Heels' next opponent might. Next up on the schedule is a visit to top-ranked and undefeated Connecticut, which recently lost 3-point threat Mel Thomas for the rest of the season because of a right knee injury.
"We're going to Connecticut next, and we've got to play 40 minutes of good intense basketball," Hatchell said.
And from there, it doesn't get much easier, with No. 4 Maryland and the rest of the difficult ACC looming in the weeks ahead.
"This stretch coming up . these next couple weeks will be tough," Hatchell said. "But it'll make us better and get us ready because we want to get back to the Final Four and another ACC championship."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/14/08 5:00am)
RALEIGH - Sunday's women's basketball game between No. 3 North Carolina and bitter rival N.C. State was officially scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. But for sophomore forward Jessica Breland, it started much, much earlier.
"Actually I prepared for this during preseason," she said. "When I was running and stuff, it was like, 'Oh, I've got to go ahead and run because we gotta play State.'"
Breland, who adds size and raw athleticism off the bench, was playing for her second time in hostile Reynolds Coliseum against the team she said she considers to be UNC's biggest rival. After enduring a road loss in her freshman campaign, she entered Sunday eager for revenge.
"Between Duke and here, I would say State is the worst," she said of the atmosphere in the Wolfpack's home stadium. "I just didn't want to lose. I was determined not to lose."
Her preparation and attitude paid off Sunday, as she helped the Tar Heels to a 79-70 victory. As usual, North Carolina's frontcourt flourished behind seniors Erlana Larkins and LaToya Pringle. But the contributions of Breland and junior Iman McFarland off the bench were instrumental in outlasting the Wolfpack.
The two reserves combined for 19 points and 12 rebounds, while the entire Wolfpack bench mustered eight points and 10 boards. All six of McFarland's rebounds were on the offensive end, and the two forwards had just one total turnover in 41 minutes of work.
"You could say that we're X-factors because we both play in and out and we work on a lot of defense," Breland said. "We just bring a lot to the team because LaToya and Erlana are really great and they're veterans. So when they're tired, we have to come in and keep up the pace."
On the other side of the floor, McFarland swiped two steals and Breland rejected a game-high four shots. Both were also key in holding ACC scoring and rebounding leader Khadijah Whittington to 15 points. The Wolfpack star committed six turnovers before fouling out in the second half.
The duo also had a lot to do with UNC's 42-22 advantage in the paint and the 31-8 difference in second-chance points.
"They were just trying to bang us across the lane and we tried to switch them side to side," Pringle said. "Both teams were resilient, and we tried to get as many catches as we could."
Solid bench play was especially necessary because of some personnel troubles for UNC. Freshman Rebecca Gray was sidelined with a stress fracture and junior Rashanda McCants needed relief after encountering early foul trouble.
But coach Sylvia Hatchell said these deficiencies actually left UNC with a significant size advantage.
"We're actually bigger because we're playing when Heather (Claytor) is out and Rashanda, I mean we've got at least three - when Rashanda's in we've got four - kids that actually played in the post in high school."
But Hatchell didn't forget another factor that must always be considered in rivalry games.
"And Jessica Breland, she was really fired up for this game."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/28/07 5:00am)
Senior All-American candidate Erlana Larkins found herself in unfamiliar territory at the start of Tuesday night's game - the bench.
But as she rested up for two important games later this week, a few younger Tar Heels had their chance to shine in a 102-58 win against the College of Charleston.
Speedy freshman point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid led all scorers with a career-high 19 points and junior Iman McFarland notched her first-ever double-double. Her 17 points and 13 rebounds were both career highs.
But things didn't start out well for No. 4 UNC (8-0), as senior LaToya Pringle lost a rare opening tip that led to a basket for the Cougars (0-3).
"I don't know if they didn't throw it up high enough, or what it was, because Toya, you know," coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "But anyway, they got the jump ball and scored. I thought we started out very lethargic."
After the Tar Heels gave up an easy basket because of poor positioning on an inbound pass, a fuming Hatchell decided that was enough.
"I called a timeout and didn't say a word to them," she said. "And we went out and scored about 10 points in about 30 seconds."
From then on, it was a scoring carousel. Ten UNC players found their way onto the scoring column as 11 Tar Heels logged double figures in minutes - none playing more than 22.
Pringle added 18 points in 18 minutes, despite early foul trouble, and freshman guard Rebecca Gray contributed 12.
DeGraffenreid's speed was the catalyst for much of the game, as she generated fast breaks even against greater numbers of defenders.
"When she came down already seeming to go full speed and then had another acceleration at about the free throw line, those things are pretty amazing," Charleston coach Nancy Wilson said.
And the freshman said that the increased playing time has caused her to feel more comfortable controlling the point.
"The more and more you start, the more and more you get used to it, and you get used to playing with everybody and what everybody does," DeGraffenreid said.
As the Tar Heel reserves got in on the act, a cheer rose from the Carmichael Auditorium crowd as senior Meghan Austin got off the bench.
Making her first appearance of the season as she recovers from a knee injury, Austin dropped a career high five points, and she played the last eight minutes of the game.
"She's just a great kid with a big heart," Hatchell said. "Loves the team, does whatever we need her to do."
UNC is back in action for two crucial games this week, as it hosts Purdue on Thursday and pays No. 1 Tennessee a visit Sunday.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.