University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Connecticut (Jimmy V Classic)
No. 9 North Carolina Upsets No. 4 Connecticut, 71-65
November 21, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2004
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By KEITH PARSONS
AP Sports Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina closed with a 16-5 run to upset Connecticut 71-65 Sunday in the Jimmy V Women's Classic, the three-time defending national champions' earliest loss since 1995.
Ivory Latta pulled up for a go-ahead 3-pointer with less than two minutes left for No. 9 North Carolina (2-0).
No. 4 UConn (1-1) was without freshman point guard Ketia Swanier for most of the second half - she left with a concussion after getting elbowed by a teammate - and finished with 28 turnovers.
The Huskies hadn't dropped a game this early since losing their opener nine years ago.
Latta finished with 16 points, freshman Erlana Larkins had 14 and Camille Little added 13. Ann Strother led UConn with 17 points.
The Huskies perennially restock their roster, and this offseason they lost superstar Diana Taurasi and point guard Maria Conlon to graduation. That made it tougher to overcome when Swanier left in the first half. She ran past teammate Jessica Moore, who inadvertently swung an elbow that hit Swanier in the forehead.
Swanier spent the rest of the game on the sideline, with an ice pack covering the bruise, and the Huskies clearly missed her down the stretch.
UConn led 59-55 after a jumper by Nicole Wolff with about 4{ minutes left, taking advantage of two quick turnovers by the Tar Heels. Latta, a speedy 5-foot-6 point guard, got inside for a basket, then La'Tangela Atkinson made two free throws to bring North Carolina within one.
After UConn center Jessica Moore traveled, Latta pushed the ball up and made a 3 over Wolff with 1:53 remaining, giving the Tar Heels the lead for good. The Huskies missed two straight shots and made another turnover, while North Carolina went 9-of-10 from the free-throw line to close it out.
UConn had four turnovers and missed three free throws in the final 4 minutes.
The Tar Heels were picked to win the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, the first time since 1999 a team other than Duke was predicted to win the league. Now they beat powerful Connecticut for the first time since the 1994 NCAA tournament.
