North Carolina
Austin Peay
Tar Heels Survive Scare Against Austin Peay
March 22, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 22, 2003
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BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Coretta Brown scored 20 points and Nikita Bell hit a layup with 20 seconds to go to lift No. 3 seed North Carolina to a 72-70 win over No. 14 seed Austin Peay Saturday night in the first round of the Mideast Regional.
Brooke Armistead, who scored a season-high 30 points for Austin Peay, missed a layup at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime.
The loss snapped the Lady Govs' (27-3) school-record 22-game winning streak.
Bell, who scored the final four points for North Carolina (27-5), finished with 14. The Tar Heels advance to play the winner of the game between Colorado and BYU in the second round.
Armistead scored 25 of her 30 points in the second half, including five 3-pointers.
North Carolina led 32-29 at the half but Austin Peay opened the second half with a 16-7 run. Armistead had 10 points during the spurt and her layup gave the Lady Govs a 45-39 lead with 14:22 to go.
North Carolina responded with a 17-3 run, ending in a 3-pointer by Leah Metcalf that gave the Tar Heels a 56-48 lead with 9:37 left.
The game was tied six times in the first half and there were seven lead changes. Neither team led by more than four until Brown hit a baseline jumper with 2:48 left to give the Tar Heels a 26-21 lead.
North Carolina will face Colorado Monday evening for a spot in the Sweet 16. The Buffaloes, seeded sixth, beat BYU 84-45 Saturday.
