University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Vanderbilt (NCAA Tournament)
Tar Heels Return To Sweet 16
March 20, 2006 | Women's Basketball
March 20, 2006
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Ivory Latta believes the North Carolina Tar Heels are road tested and ready.
The junior guard scored 27 points, and the top-ranked and top-seeded Tar Heels tuned out the pro Vandy crowd in an 89-70 victory Monday night in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
With the victory, the Tar Heels (31-1) reached the regional semifinals for a second straight year and the 10th in their last 12 tournament appearances. They will play Purdue on Sunday in Cleveland.
"Going into the Sweet 16, I think we're going to do pretty good. I think we're a good road team. I don't think we've lost on the road this season, knock on wood on that," Latta said with a smile, tapping coach Sylvia Hatchell's head when she leaned over.
"I think we're going to do well in the Sweet 16 on the road if we just play together as a team."
The Tar Heels haven't lost away from Carmichael Auditorium this season, improving to 17-0 by winning their first two NCAA tournament games on the road for only the second time in school history. They won their first two games in 2002 in Santa Barbara.
Hatchell hadn't been happy since the brackets were released at the prospect of having to play essentially a road game in the second round against a Vandy program looking for a third straight semifinal berth of its own, a No. 8 seed Hatchell thought deserved to be seeded as high as sixth.
"I'm just happy with the win and looking forward to playing in the Sweet 16," Hatchell said.
The Tar Heels handed Vanderbilt (21-11) its first NCAA tournament loss in Memorial Gym, snapping a 15-0 run by the Commodores, whose only nod to being the road team was their black uniforms. They even sat on their own bench, sending the Tar Heels to the other end line reserved for visitors.
Vandy coach Melanie Balcomb said the Tar Heels demoralized her Commodores by outjumping them repeatedly for rebounds after they had stopped them initially. She said she had made a career of upsetting teams filled with talent and athleticism by outworking them.
Not this time.
"North Carolina works their butt off, and they happen to be athletic and talented and that's a combination I think is very tough. That's why I think they have a great chance to win it," Balcomb said. "They didn't let us outwork them. We worked hard, but they did too."
Erlana Larkins added 22 points, Alex Miller had a career-high 16 off the bench and Camille Little 10 as the Tar Heels dominated Vandy with their speed. They turned 22 turnovers into 28 points and outscored Vandy inside 44-30.
Carla Thomas led Vanderbilt with 17 points. Caroline Williams and Nicole Jules each added 11.
North Carolina won the other meeting between these teams in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Dec. 20, 87-67. This was much more competitive even though the Tar Heels used an early 10-0 run to grab they'd never relinquish.
Trailing 48-34 at halftime, Vanderbilt opened up the second half hitting seven of its first nine shots in a 14-3 run capped by Davis' three-point play. Guarded by Latta, she drove the baseline and scored on a layup, then hit the free throw with 16:21 to go.
"I don't want to say flat, our intensity on defense wasn't what I wanted it to be in the second half, and I thought we missed some easy shots to start the second half, some really good shots around the basket we missed. They came down and hit some 3s and got their momentum going," Hatchell said.
"And I think the crowd helped them out whenever they cut the lead down. That was a big factor."
Latta helped revive her teammates right after Davis' three-point play. She reacted emotionally after being fouled by Williams driving through the paint. Both players were given technicals, and Latta hit both free throws on the personal foul.
"I think that was a turning point for us in the game," Latta said of her excited reaction to the foul. "I think it boosted our team up. After that, we just tried to take it away."
Vandy trimmed the lead to three twice more, the last at 63-60 on a 3-pointer by Cherish Stringfield with 11:48 left but could get no closer.
With Williams, Thomas and Jules all in foul trouble, the Tar Heels finally gave themselves some breathing room by scoring the next seven points and 12 of the next 14. The Commodores never got within single digits again.
