University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Women Host Northeastern in First Round
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
March 11, 1999
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP)--North Carolina, with a national title and five straight Sweet 16 appearances in the 1990s, will host tournament newcomer Northeastern on Friday.
The fourth-seeded Tar Heels (26-7) will meet the 13th-seeded Huskies (22-7) on Friday night in a Midwest Region first-round game in Chapel Hill, N.C.
"We're glad to have the home court, but our bracket is tough," North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "I think our players will be ready to go. We've taken some days off and we'll be ready to play."
The winner of this game faces the winner of the Alabama-Grambling matchup. The second-round game is Sunday.
North Carolina plays a small, three-guard lineup. Nikki Teasley is the top scorer, averaging 15.5 points and 5.9 assists per game.
Juana Brown averages 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and LaQuanda arksdale averages 14.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
The Tar Heels lost to Clemson 87-72 in the final of the ACC tournament on March 1.
North Carolina will be making its 12th appearance in the NCAA tournament, its eighth under Hatchell.
On the other hand, Northeastern will be making its first-ever appearance in the tournament. The Huskies got a bid by beating Maine 57-55 to win the America East Conference tournament Mar. 6.
Northeastern features a pair of high-scoring seniors. Guard Tesha Tinsley averages 21.2 points and 4.5 assists per game. Betsy Palecek, a 6-foot-1 forward who made the game-winning shot in the America East tournament final with six seconds to play, averages 16.4 points and 5.7 rebounds a game.
These schools have met just once before, in 1982. North Carolina won that game 79-57.
