University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Penn State
No. 14 Tar Heels Top No. 10 Penn State, 73-60
December 30, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Dec 30, 2003
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - When Sylvia Hatchell told her 14th-ranked Tar Heels to look inside Tuesday night, she didn't mean anything about being self-reflective as the year ends. She was talking about rebounding.
Normally, North Carolina considers itself a finesse team. But the Tar Heels pounded the ball inside against No. 10 Penn State for a 73-60 win.
"They're basically a perimeter team. That's one reason we were taking it inside on purpose," Hatchell said. "And that's one reason we went to the line so much."
North Carolina trailed 38-35 at halftime after being outrebounded 24-19. The Tar Heels scored all but three of their second-half points in the paint or off free throws stemming from inside plays.
North Carolina was 23-for-35 on free throws, 13-of-19 in the second half. Penn State was 7-for-7, getting just one free throw in the second half.
"That's outrageous, 35-to-7," Penn State's Rene Portland said. "I've never been involved in a game like that."
Hatchell insisted that UNC's 25-12 advantage in personal fouls was the result of good defense.
"We don't body up on anybody. We're a finesse-type team," Hatchell said. "We worked hard to play good position defense without fouling them."
Penn State was within 50-49 with 11:36 to play but then missed its next nine shots from the floor. North Carolina went 6-for-9 during the same stretch, each basket coming inside, to key a 14-0 run that put the game out of Penn State's reach.
Penn State never got closer than 66-56 in the final 10 minutes.
"We were at 50-49 and then I think our players just put their heads down some," Portland said. "We didn't have any leadership at all, and they just out-hustled us."
 "I think we proved to anyone who doubted us that we're a lot better team than people think."
UNC Forward Camille Little
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North Carolina's Camille Little scored five of her 19 points during the decisive run. Sophomore La'Tangela Atkinson had 16 points and 15 rebounds, tying her career-high for boards and helping UNC to a 46-40 rebounding edge.
"I needed to prove to my teammates and my coaches that, when we needed them, I could get those rebounds," Atkinson said.
Candace Sutton added 14 points and Ivory Latta 10 for North Carolina (10-1), which defeated a Top 10 nonconference opponent for the first time since beating Louisiana Tech in the 1994 NCAA championship game.
"I think we proved to anyone who doubted us that we're a lot better team than people think," Little said.
Kelly Mazzante led Penn State (7-3) with 21 points. Tanisha Wright had 13 and Jess Brungo 10 for the Lady Lions. Penn State had not played since an 87-84 loss Dec. 21 to Louisiana Tech.
The Tar Heels return to action on Friday, hosting Wake Forest for UNC's Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Carmichael Auditorium.
