University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 13 UNC Takes On Undefeated South Carolina
December 19, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2002
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Tipoff: No. 13 UNC faces No. 18 South Carolina
The University of North Carolina women's basketball team is 7-1 on the season and ranked 13th in both national polls heading into Friday evening's neutral-court matchup with No. 18 South Carolina (8-0). Tipoff is 9 p.m. at the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Convention Center, following a game between Coastal Carolina and UNC Wilmington. The doubleheader is known as the Carolinas Classic.
The Tar Heels are coming off an 83-50 win over Elon on Tuesday night, while the Gamecocks defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 60-41 on Wednesday night.
Next up for UNC is nine-day holiday break. The Tar Heels will return to action on Dec. 29 with a home game against Charleston Southern. Tipoff is 2 p.m. at Carmichael Auditorium.
On the air
The game between UNC and South Carolina will be broadcast live by the Tar Heel Radio Network. The flagship station is 1360-AM WCHL. Stephen Gates is Carolina's play-by-play announcer. Game action also is available via the internet at www.TarHeelBlue.com.
Quick facts on UNC
2002-03: Record 7-1
2001-02: Record 26-9 (11-5 ACC)
Current Rankings: 13th AP, 13th USAToday/ ESPN
Head Coach: Sylvia Hatchell (Carson-Newman, 1974)
Career Record: 609-250 (in her 28th season)
Record at UNC: 337-170 (in her 17th season)
Assistant Head Coach: Andrew Calder
Assistant Coaches: Tracey Williams, Charlotte Smith-Taylor
Team captains: Coretta Brown, Courtney Chambers, Jennifer Thomas
Sports information contact: Dana Gelin
Phone/email: (919) 962-0083/dgelin@uncaa.unc.edu
UNC athletics website: www.TarHeelBlue.com
UNC ticket office: (919) 962-2126, (800) 722-4335
News of note
* North Carolina and South Carolina will face each other in Myrtle Beach, S.C., for the third December in a row. UNC won the meeting in 2000 and South Carolina won last season, handing the Tar Heels their worst defeat of the year. USC leads the series 6-5.
* Friday's game is a homecoming for two UNC players from the state of South Carolina: sophomore Kenya McBee (Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, S.C.) and freshman La'Tangela Atkinson (Lee Central High School in Bishopville, S.C.). Atkinson currently leads the Tar Heels in scoring and rebounding.
* In the season's first eight games, five different players have paced the Tar Heels in scoring in at least one game, five have led way in rebounding and four have led in assists.
* Junior center Candace Sutton needs three blocks to move into third place on UNC's career list for that category, passing Sylvia Crawley (1991-94). Sutton has 121, and Crawley finished her career with 123.
UNC's statistical leaders
Scoring: La'Tangela Atkinson (12.8 points per game)
Rebounding: La'Tangela Atkinson (7.9 per game)
Assists: Leah Metcalf (3.75 per game)
Steals: Nikita Bell (3.0 per game)
Blocks: Candace Sutton (1.75 per game)
Field goal percentage: Carrie Davis (55.6 percent)
Minutes per game: Coretta Brown (30.4 per game)
Scouting the South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina is undefeated at 8-0 on the season heading into Friday's game. The Gamecocks are ranked 18th in this week's Associated Press poll, 19th in the coaches' poll.
In its most recent outing, USC defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 60-41 on Wednesday in Columbia, S.C. Jocelyn Penn led the way with 25 points, six rebounds and seven steals. Kelly Morrone added 15 points and Petra Ujhelyi chipped in 10 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Cristina Ciocan had nine points and 13 assists.
Penn leads the team with 28.0 points per game. She averages 8.5 rebounds and a team-best 5.0 steals. Ciocan leads the team in assists with 7.8 a game and ranks second in scoring with 13.4 points. Ujhelyi averages a double-double, with 10.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
South Carolina is coached by Susan Walvius, who is in her sixth year with the program. Last season, she coached the Gamecocks to a 25-7 record and a spot in the NCAA Elite Eight.
The North Carolina-South Carolina series
Friday's game will be the 12th meeting in the border-war series between North Carolina and South Carolina. The Gamecocks lead the series 6-5 and have won three of the last four games, including the most recent matchup, 85-53 in Myrtle Beach, S.C, on Dec. 20, 2001.
The series dates back to the 1975-76 season, when UNC defeated the South Carolina 75-65 in Columbia, S.C., on Jan. 24, 1976.
Recapping the last matchup
Dec. 20, 2001: No. 23 South Carolina 85, No. 16 North Carolina 53
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.--The Tar Heels hit season lows in almost every statistical category in their worst loss of the season, 85-53 to South Carolina. The scoring output was Carolina's lowest since a 55-53 loss at Maryland on Jan. 28, 2001, and the margin of defeat was UNC's worst since a 101-58 loss at Duke on Jan. 27, 2000.
Nikki Teasley hit five three-pointers and totaled 17 points in the first half to keep UNC within five, 42-37, at halftime. But the Tar Heels scored just 16 points on 18.9 percent shooting in the second half to fall behind by as many as 35.
Teresa Geter led South Carolina with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Jocelyn Penn scored 20 points and Shaunzinski Gortman had 15. South Carolina won the rebounding battle 61-41.
Holiday visit to the beach
The Tar Heels have made a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., an annual December event. They've played there every year since 1994, in tournaments from 1994 to '96 and single games since 1997.
UNC and South Carolina have played the last two years, with each team winning one game.
UNC in Myrtle Beach
Dec. 20, 2001: South Carolina 85, North Carolina 53
Dec. 21, 2000: North Carolina 74, South Carolina 68
Dec. 19, 1999: North Carolina 82, Michigan State 65
Dec. 20, 1998: North Carolina 90, Alabama 75
Dec. 20, 1997: North Carolina 88, Western Kentucky 67
Dec. 19, 1996: North Carolina 72, Louisville 67
Dec. 20, 1996: Alabama 88, North Carolina 74
Dec. 19, 1995: North Carolina 95, Coastal Carolina 52
Dec. 20, 1995: Nebraska 81, North Carolina 75
Dec. 21, 1995: Iowa 73, North Carolina 64
Dec. 19, 1994: North Carolina 92, Morehead State 43
Dec. 20, 1994: North Carolina 81, College of Charleston 36
Dec. 21, 1994: North Carolina 106, ETSU 72
