Sports - The Daily Tar Heel

Early Strikes Help UNC Pitchers

By Curt Kendall | Feb. 26, 2001

Forget about 95 mph heat or curveballs that drop off the table.North Carolina's weekend series against Seton Hall showed that the best pitch in baseball is strike one.The Tar Heel hurlers enjoyed success when they got ahead of the Pirate hitters.Just ask freshman Daniel Moore.Moore (2-0), Saturday's starter and winner, got ahead in the count against 17 of 27 batters while tossing seven shutout innings in UNC's 3-0 win."First-pitch strikes - we talked about that to our staff (Saturday) about how important it is against good hitters," UNC coach Mike Fox said.Friday, s

Cavaliers Drain Baskets, Tar Heels

By Will Kimmey | Feb. 26, 2001

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia guard Donald Hand dribbled around the 3-point line midway through the second half. The shot clock ticked down to one second. Hand hurled a wild shot toward the goal. It hit the backboard and caromed in. Three points for the Cavaliers.That's the kind of day it was for No. 9 Virginia. The Cavaliers made 11 of their 22 attempts from behind the arc as they blew out No. 2 North Carolina 86-66 at University Hall.Virginia led by 14 at the half and never let the Tar Heels trim the lead to single digits after intermission.

Angell Leads Tar Heels to 12th Place

By Staff Editor | Feb. 26, 2001

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- North Carolina women's golf team finished this weekend's SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational in 12th place with a final team score of 926. The Tar Heels were led by junior Heather Angell, who finished tied for 23rd place with a three-round total of nine-over-par 225.Track and Field Shines at Virginia TechBLACKSBURG, Va. -- The North Carolina track and field teams handed in solid performances Saturday at the Virginia Tech Last Chance Invitational. Edi Ntuen lowered her NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 400 meters, finishing third in 53.67.

Tar Heel Gymnastics Waves Bye-Bye to Tribe

By Brad Broders | Feb. 26, 2001

The fans attending Friday night's gymnastics meet had every right to be enthused.But not for the obvious reason.After defeating William & Mary 195.075-191.575, North Carolina's gymnasts gave the Carmichael Auditorium faithful another chance to get energized. Hours removed from their performance at the Dance Marathon, the Tar Heels showcased their three-song lip sync routine to the bouncing beats of 'N Sync and Britney Spears.The Tar Heels also said bye bye bye to William & Mary throughout the meet, expanding its lead after each event.

Women's Lacrosse Romps in Season Opener

By Kelly Lusk | Feb. 26, 2001

By Kelly LuskAssistant Sports EditorNorth Carolina women's lacrosse team wanted to make a statement in its season opener.With a tough regular-season schedule awaiting it, UNC set out to flex its offensive muscle against Davidson. In a 17-3 thrashing of the Wildcats, the Tar Heels' biceps were certainly bulging. The 14-goal win marked the largest margin of victory since March 5, 1999, when UNC defeated Ohio State 19-5."Everyone was really pumped up for our first game," junior attacker Kellie Thompson said.

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems For Baseball

Feb. 26, 2001

It's getting to be that time of the year again.The days are growing longer. Soon -- we hope, at least -- they'll start becoming warmer.And the Boys of Summer have begun reporting to their training camps.You can almost smell it, can't you? Hot dogs and pretzels at the ballpark.

Third Sets Frustrate Men's Tennis Twice

By Kelly Lusk | Feb. 26, 2001

When matches came down to the wire this weekend, the North Carolina men's tennis team couldn't deliver.The third set proved particularly fatal for the Tar Heels.UNC fell 5-2 against Tulsa on Saturday at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center after dropping a 6-1 decision to South Florida on Friday.Saturday, the Tar Heels' first close match came during doubles play.

Stone's Career Day Boosts Tar Heels

By Brad Lewis | Feb. 26, 2001

Midfielder Lindsay Stone opened her junior campaign with a bang as the North Carolina women's lacrosse team began its regular season Sunday.She didn't let the rain stop her offensive fireworks as she scored four goals to help the Tar Heels crush Davidson 17-3. Stone responded to the Wildcats' only goal of the first half with her first goal.

Baseball Rolls Past Pirates

By Rachel Carter | Feb. 26, 2001

Standing on Boshamer Stadium's grass Saturday, Seton Hall assistant coach Rob Sheppard said he knew why his baseball team wasn't winning."No timely hitting," said Sheppard, who took over at the helm for his ailing father, Mike, who stayed in New Jersey for the weekend series.Sheppard's crew had just suffered a 3-0 loss at the hands of North Carolina -- its second in as many days.

Spring Sports - Softball Looks For 1st Postseason Berth

By Brad Broders | Feb. 23, 2001

The North Carolina softball team had little problem setting team records in 2000.The Tar Heels set new totals in home runs, hits, at bats, runs scored, doubles and total bases.But something was missing.Despite inking the new records and going 47-17 -- UNC's best record since the inception of fast pitch in 1984 -- the the Tar Heels again missed out on NCAA postseason participation.In 2001, UNC will look to buck the trend and reach the postseason plateau for the first time in the program's history."The NCAA tourney is big.

UNC Gives FSU `Old-Fashioned Whipping'

By Bret Strelow | Feb. 23, 2001

The 21,652 fans who packed the Smith Center on Thursday night hardly seemed interested that Florida State's Adrian Crawford had just drilled a 3-pointer with 3:59 left.Instead, the sellout crowd had its eyes focused on the four big screen televisions showing replays of Julius Peppers' alley-oop dunk 13 seconds earlier.Second-ranked North Carolina was well on its way to a 95-67 victory against the Seminoles, and Crawford's shot was -- at best -- trivial. Those who saw Crawford's make knew it cut UNC's lead to 25 points.

Spring Sports - Baseball Looks at Rebuilding Year in 2001

By Matt Terry | Feb. 23, 2001

Sure, their uniforms and caps look like North Carolina's.And, yes, the scoreboard at Boshamer Stadium does say that the home team is the Tar Heels.But for those who payed any attention to the baseball team during its 46-17 season a year ago, most of those guys wearing home white look like impostors.Even though the Tar Heels started out the 2001 campaign 5-2, one all-important question still lingers:Who are these guys??"That's just the nature of Division I baseball, losing players to the draft, losing junior pitchers," UNC coach Mike Fox said.

N.C. State's Lewis Earns Milestone

By Kelly Lusk | Feb. 23, 2001

RALEIGH - N.C. State women's basketball players hoisted senior Tynesha Lewis up on their shoulders following their victory against North Carolina on Wednesday.Senior night in Reynolds Coliseum belonged to her. Lewis posted her second triple-double to propel the No. 19 Wolfpack past the Tar Heels -- a feat that no other man or woman has accomplished at N.C. State. "To go without one for over 50 years in men's basketball and 25 years in women's - it's an incredible feat," Wolfpack coach Kay Yow said.

Spring Sports - Rowing Seniors Come Full Circle in 2001

By Brad Lewis | Feb. 23, 2001

"Pick it up," yells the coxswain. The race begins as the blades knife through the surface of the water with unparalleled fury.The eight-meter shell's speed increases with the pull of both the starboard and portside. The shell cuts through the water with the machine-like efficiency of the stroke of the team.Yet people outside the rowing community might not know or understand one of the most competitive women's sports at North Carolina.People probably also do not know the outlook for this spring's team of rowers.

Spring Sports - Big Things Expected From Freshman Golfers

By Jamie Agin | Feb. 23, 2001

The loss of two All-Americans. The potential of having two freshmen in the starting lineup. A disappointing fall campaign. Tough competition awaiting in the ACC.Combine these factors, and the 2001 spring season has all the makings of a proverbial "rebuilding" year for North Carolina's men's golfers. There's just one problem. They don't want to wait until next year.Last spring, North Carolina struggled, failing to win a single tournament. But the team peaked at the right time.

Spring Sports - Tar Heels Aim for Another NCAA Berth

By Curt Kendall | Feb. 23, 2001

They don't play on Wimbledon's grass courts or the clay of Roland Garros.But the North Carolina women's tennis team has performed well on the less hallowed collegiate courts in its opening matches of the season.The Tar Heels, ranked No. 22 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, boast a 6-1 record that includes victories against No. 34 Kentucky, No. 27 Illinois and No. 20 Northwestern.No. 11 Notre Dame handed the Tar Heels their lone loss Feb.

Forte Continues to Make Case For Player of the Year Accolades

By Matt Terry | Feb. 23, 2001

Joseph Forte's 16-point, 6-of-19 shooting performance in North Carolina's 75-65 loss to Clemson on Sunday can be summed up in one short phrase: Poor Florida State.The sophomore shooting guard blitzed the Seminoles for 36 points -- two off of his career high -- as the No. 2 Tar Heels eased past FSU 95-67 at the Smith Center on Thursday.Floaters from the left wing here, a pull-up jumper from 12 feet there and a handful of penetrating drives through the Seminole defense were just too much for Florida State to handle."I was just trying to make sure we win," Forte said.

Spring Sports - UNC Golfers Anticipate Challenging Season

By Akilah Nelson | Feb. 23, 2001

With a little luck and a few things done differently, the North Carolina women's golf team would have made it to the NCAA championships at the end of the 2000 season.Instead the team placed third in the ACC and 17th in the NCAA Eastern Regionals to cap off a season of steady improvement.Although this season began much the same as the last, UNC coach Sally Austin hopes her team's story will have a different ending this May.Once again, the Tar Heels improved constantly throughout the fall.

Spring Sports - UNC Eyes Championships

By Kelly Lusk | Feb. 23, 2001

The new North Carolina men's lacrosse poster for the 2001 season recently caught women's lacrosse coach Jenny Slingluff Levy's eye.The poster shows something she wants. Slingluff Levy looked in awe at the tradition the poster encapsulated in the team's highlights. The men's team began its winning tradition in 1981.

Spring Sports - Rebuilding Tradition

By James Giza | Feb. 23, 2001

These were glory days for the Tar Heel lacrosse program. And John Haus was there.He was a four-year starter on close defense for the Tar Heels from 1980 to '83. Now he's been handed the responsibility of rekindling the fire that once burned so brightly within the program."There was a lot of excitement, and we were very successful," Haus said. "And, obviously, the key to having people come out and watch you is if you're successful and you win games. And we were.