University of North Carolina Athletics
Middle Tennessee-North Carolina Preview
March 20, 2004 | Women's Basketball
March 20, 2004
GAME: No. 13 Middle Tennessee (23-7) vs. No. 4 North Carolina (24-6).
REGIONAL: East, First round.
TIME: Sunday, 12 p.m. EST.
SITE: The Joyce Center; South Bend, Ind.
North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell believes the inexperience of freshmen Ivory Latta and Camille Little could be an advantage when it opens NCAA tournament play against Middle Tennessee.
"They are two great kids that love playing basketball," Hatchell said. "They haven't played all these years, so they just think about playing basketball. That's the way it needs to be. They just love to play."
Latta leads the Tar Heels in scoring, averaging 14.3 points a game, while Little adds 14.1 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds a contest.
North Carolina is making its 12 appearance in the tournament under Hatchell, and has reached the regional semifinals eight times previously.
Though she insists she's not looking past Middle Tennessee, Hatchell believes the Tar Heels must remain confident against any opponent.
"I think you make your luck with confidence, perseverance and hard work," Hatchell said. "Getting in the right bracket, and having things going your way, that has a lot to do with it. It has a lot to do with chemistry, and having your team playing its best at that point in the season. That's what we are trying to gear up for."
First, they'll have to beat a Lady Raiders' team coming off an emotional season.
Middle Tennessee's loss to Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt tournament finals a season ago was a rallying point for this year's squad, culminating in a 79-57 win over the Lady Toppers in this year's conference title game.
Now their goal is posting the school's first NCAA tournament win since 1985-86.
"This is the first time since I got here that we will play in the tournament," said junior guard Patrice Holmes, who is averaging 15.3 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. "Since they play the same game that we do I think we can beat them."
PROBABLE STARTERS: Middle Tennessee - F Krystle Horton (14.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg), F Tia Stovall (10.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg), G Holmes (15.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg), G Keisha McClinic (8.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg), G Jennifer Justice (6.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg). North Carolina - F Little (14.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg), F La'Tangela Atkinson (9.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg), C Candace Sutton (9.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg), G Latta (14.3 ppg, 3.6 apg), G Leah Metcalf (7.1 ppg, 3.7 apg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Middle Tennessee - Sun Belt champion. North Carolina - At-large berth.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Middle Tennessee -2-7, 7 years. North Carolina - 24-14, 15 years.
