University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Wide Awake
November 14, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2007
By Turner Walston
Sylvia Hatchell doesn't plan on letting teams sneak up on her No. 7 Tar Heels in November. Major upsets have occurred early in the men's college basketball season, including Gardner-Webb winning at No. 20 Kentucky, and Mercer knocking off No. 18 Southern California. Hatchell knows that teams are waiting for another top team to slip up, and she's reminded her charges of their vulnerability by posting the Gardner-Webb and Mercer scores in the team's locker room. "It's the way it is now," Hatchell said following her team's 98-53 defeat of Elon. "You've got to be ready to play. I just reminded them of those situations that are going on in college basketball.
The Tar Heels were ready to play on Tuesday night, reeling off the first nine points of the game in less than two minutes, and jumping out to a 31-10 lead ten minutes in. Through a pressing defense that made the Phoenix backpedal in their own backcourt, the Tar Heels came up with 22 steals and 42 points off turnovers. "We made some mistakes, making the passes too long across the top," Elon coach Brenda Paul said, "and they were picking it off and getting some pretty easy looks."
By contrast, the Phoenix scored just five points off 19 Carolina turnovers. No Tar Heel was more exemplary of the team's ability to get back in transition than freshman guard Cetera DeGraffenreid. At about the 14:00 mark of the first half, she gave up a turnover to an Elon guard. But rather than give up two points on a layup, the 5'6 DeGraffenreid ran back down the floor and wowed the crowd with her first career block, forcefully re-directing the ball out of bounds. "She got up," Hatchell said of her young playmaker. "She's tough. She's the daughter of a football coach."
LaToya Pringle, who with three blocks Tuesday was 80 away from the all-time school record, said she reminded DeGraffenreid that Pringle is the team's designated shot-blocker. "Whenever they get a block, it's kind of like one in a million," Pringle said. "We congratulate her and let her know that it probably won't happen again." DeGraffenreid actually recorded a second block after halftime, despite Pringle's teasing.
DeGraffenreid wasn't the only Tar Heel lighting up the scoresheet. In fact, every Tar Heel who dressed, save the injured Meghan Austin, played at least eight minutes and recorded at least four points and one rebound. Rashanda McCants led the Tar Heels with 16 points, and Jessica Breland recorded her fourth career double-double, with 12 points and 11 rebounds in 15 minutes of action. The 6'3 Breland dazzled the 3,427 Tar Heel faithful in attendance with two behind-the-back dribbles and a no-look pass to Italee Lucas, who was probably too surprised to convert the field goal. "They're kind of rusty," Breland said of her moves. "I'm just trying to have more fun."
Erlana Larkins had just six points and three rebounds. Paul had an explanation for that, and it wasn't due to her team's defense. "She played 15 minutes," Paul said. "Is that a good enough answer for you?" And maybe contributing was the fact that all but 22 of Carolina's 98 points came off turnovers, from the three-point line or at the free throw line. With so many points coming in transition, the Tar Heels often didn't run their half-court offense, designed to feed Larkins.
The Tar Heels shared the ball better than they did Sunday against Arizona State. They recorded 25 assists on 38 field goals, including eight from Lucas. "I like that," Hatchell said. "I thought we could have even had some more, but that's what we want to do."
With wins of 77, 15 and 45 points, one could be tempted to feel sympathy for Carolina's opponents early in the season. But LaToya Pringle cautioned against that. "You try not to play to the level of our competition," she said. "(Coach Hatchell) told us, you can be beaten at any time if you just let up, so we try not to do that."
Paul, a longtime friend of Hatchell's, said this Carolina team, despite its youth, would be dangerous late in the season. "They're not going to skip a beat," she said. "I think they're going to be right back in the Final Four."
Through three games, the Tar Heels average more than 36 points off turnovers. Keep up that torrid pace, and by early April they could find themselves fast-breaking all the way to Tampa. And they won't be the victim of any upset special.
