University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
South Carolina
No. 15 North Carolina Tops South Carolina, 77-53
December 20, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Dec 20, 2003
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By PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Freshman Ivory Latta scored 16 points in her return home to South Carolina to lead 15th-ranked North Carolina to a 77-53 victory over the Gamecocks on Saturday.
Latta, from McConnells, is the state's career scoring leader, shattering the old mark by nearly 1,000 points in four seasons at York High School. She's brought that game to college - she was the Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the week last week - and showed all facets against the Gamecocks (8-2).
Latta had a personal 7-0 run in the first half to give the Tar Heels (9-1) a 19-7 lead. Then after South Carolina cut the margin to 32-27, Latta hit a 3-pointer to open the second half and get her team back on track.
Fellow freshman Camille Little scored 15 points, one of five Tar Heels in double figures. Candace Sutton had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
South Carolina came in with an eight-game win streak, but never seriously contended.
The Gamecocks missed 12 of their first 13 shots. They opened the second half almost as cold going 1-of-6 in a stretch where North Carolina took control for good.
Following Latta's long-range basket, Sutton and Nikita Bell had field goals. Leah Metcalf, off a pass from Latta, hit a wide-open three to extend the North Carolina lead to 42-29. That's as close as South Carolina would get the rest of the way.
The Gamecocks finished 7-of-31 on 3-pointers. They were even worse on foul shots, going 2-for12.
Iva Sliskovic had 16 points to lead South Carolina, which was held 33 points below its season's scoring average.
North Carolina threatened to run away with this one at several points of the first half, starting out with a 12-2 lead.
When the Gamecocks got within 12-7, Latta pushed her team ahead. She hit a 3-pointer, then followed with a driving layup between two South Carolina defenders and a breakaway basket after stealing the ball from Sarah Burgess. Litte hit a 3-pointer with 7:47 to put North Carolina ahead 24-9, its biggest lead of the half.
La'Tangela Atkinson, the Tar Heels' second-leader scorer behind Latta, took a hard first-half spill. She grabbed her left ankle and rolled in pain. She was carried to the bench by teammates Tiffany Tucker and Candace Sutton. But she got the ankle taped, ran a bit on the sideline and was back in before the half ended.
Atkinson finished with seven points in 22 minutes.
