University of North Carolina Athletics
More Games To Come For Tar Heels
December 3, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2007
By Turner Walston
KNOXVILLE--There will be more games.
On Sunday, North Carolina and Tennessee, both ranked in the Top 5, played in Thompson-Boling Arena. The home team held off a late run to win, 83-79.
Sound familiar? Last December, North Carolina and Tennessee, both ranked in the Top 5, played in Carmichael Auditorium. The home team triumphed, 70-57.
There would be another game. North Carolina and Tennessee met again on April 1, in the national semifinal. The Lady Vols won in Cleveland, and captured the national championship two nights later.
Erlana Larkins scored four points in that Final Four loss. But there would be another game for her. On Sunday, Larkins dominated inside with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Her work against Nicky Anosike kept Tennessee's second-leading rebounder relegated to the bench late in the game. "I was a little bit disappointed in my play the last time we played Tennessee," Larkins said. "So I was telling myself that I wasn't going to let that happen again."
In April, the Lady Vols outrebounded Carolina 43-42. On Sunday, the Tar Heels won the battle of the boards, 57-39. They also outscored Tennessee in the paint, 60-32. "They did a great job of getting the ball inside, and obviously working the glass," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. "We couldn't move them."
Freshman point guards Cetera DeGraffenreid and Italee Lucas combined for 13 points, one assist, 10 turnovers and seven fouls Sunday. But there will be more games for them, too.
Rebecca Gray, another freshman, went to the free throw line with five seconds to play, and three shots to tie the game. Gray had not missed a free throw all season. The first shot, though a bit short, climbed over the front of the rim and in. The second shot rattled out. A third attempt to miss intentionally didn't miss the right way, and Tennessee took over. There will be more free throws for Gray. "Of course, she's devastated," Sylvia Hatchell said. "But she's going to play a lot of games, and she's going to get better."
Carolina's loss Sunday provided a glimpse at how this team can play with the best in the country, in the most rabid environment in women's basketball. Twice, the Tar Heels came back from ten-point deficits to tie the game. A seven-point Tennessee lead was whittled to one with less than a minute to play. Rashanda McCants just missed a steal that would have put the Tar Heels ahead. But there will be more steals.
The Tar Heels never could quite take the lead from Tennessee, though they had their opportunities. But if recent history is any indication, the Tar Heels will have much more to play for four months from now.
Consider this: North Carolina lost 36 percent of its scoring from last season, and lost their starting point guard for the season, yet nearly knocked off No. 1 Tennessee. "I hope you were impressed with my team tonight, because I sure was," Hatchell told reporters after the game. "They didn't panic. They fought back, fought really hard and we were in a position to win the game."
The Tennessee game was the 10th of 29 on Carolina's schedule. They could play as many as 38. Unlike April, the Tar Heels' season didn't end as a result of losing to Tennessee Sunday night. Because there will be more games. "We're looking forward to hopefully having another opportunity to play Tennessee," Hatchell said. "And of course, that would be in the Final Four."
There will be more games. And the Tar Heels will be better.
