University of North Carolina Athletics
Larkins Named ACC Player Of The Week
January 14, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2008
GREENSBORO, N.C. --- North Carolina's Erlana Larkins and Boston College's Carolyn Swords were named Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Basketball Player and Rookie of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, January 13. Larkins, despite playing with a broken hand, helped extend the Tar Heels' win streak to seven games, including a pair of ACC victories, while Swords added a double-double performance against fourth-ranked Maryland to her already stellar rookie campaign en route to her second weekly accolade of the season.
Despite playing with a broken left hand, Larkins led third-ranked North Carolina to conference wins against Virginia Tech and NC State. The senior forward matched her season-high with 22 points in both contests and picked up her fourth double-double and second in a row with 22 points and 10 rebounds at Virginia Tech. Larkins, who is listed on both the 2007-08 preseason "Wade Watch" list for the State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year and the 2007-08 preseason Women's Wooden Award, was two boards shy of her 31st career double-double with 22 points and eight rebounds against the Wolfpack on Sunday. The veteran from Riviera Beach, Fla., currently ranks fourth in the ACC for rebounds, averaging 8.4 per game.
The win against NC State also gave head coach Sylvia Hatchell her 200th career ACC victory.
Swords, quite possibly, played the best game of her short career at Boston College in the Eagles loss to fourth-ranked Maryland last week. The rookie from Sudbury, Ma., shot 12-for-16 from the field, finishing with 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, career-highs in both categories. The double-double performance was her fourth of the season.
On Sunday, Swords battled foul trouble but came up big in the second half against Yale. Though the six-foot-six center only managed 4-for-8 from the field, Swords had a key pass to classmate Stefany Murphy with 37 seconds to play as Murphy nailed the game-winning lay-up. Yale had a last second chance to tie the game but Swords tipped the inbounds pass and BC recovered the loose ball.
Swords tops all ACC players in field goal percentage (65.7), while the newcomer also leads ACC freshman and is eighth among league players in blocked shots per game (1.33).
Larkins and Swords square off against each other on Thursday night as North Carolina welcomes Boston College to Chapel Hill, N.C., for a 7 p.m. ET tip-off.
