University of North Carolina Athletics
Brownlow: Smooth Start In Greensboro
March 8, 2008 | Women's Basketball
March 8, 2008
By Lauren Brownlow
GREENSBORO--Carolina has always relied on its inside presence, but against Clemson in the first half, Carolina's two senior post threats combined to shoot 11-of-11 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line for 30 points in just a combined 28 minutes. Larkins was especially unstoppable.
Clemson head coach Cristy McKinney said after the game that one of her assistants suggested the team use a zone defense that involved someone literally on top of Larkins at all times to limit her touches. It worked, somewhat - she had just nine points in the second half - but early in the game, it was her play that propelled a flat Carolina team as she scored eight points, pulled down three rebounds (one offensive) and shot 4-of-4 from the field in 2 minutes and 14 seconds to give Carolina a 28-17 lead.
"I think it was kind of the natural flow of the game. We saw that they were cutting the lead and that we weren't making good decisions. So we wanted to execute on offense and take care of the ball and not stay behind offensively. So that's what we did. I guess I just...scored," Larkins said, shrugging.
But in the second half, they got help. The other three starters reached double figures in the second half and only two Tar Heels that played failed to score. As a team, Carolina had 26 assists on 35 field goals. Rashanda McCants struggled in the first half, hitting just 1-of-6 shots (0-of-2 from beyond the arc) and adding three assists, three turnovers, a steal and a block in 14 minutes. In the second half, she shot 4-of-9 from the field (4-of-7 from two-point range) and added four assists, no turnovers, two steals and a block in 14 minutes.
"Our halfcourt offense is the best it's even been since I've been here. I think we have two of the greatest post players in the nation and it's kind of hard to stop them, especially when they're hot like they were today. To top that off, we've got guards that can penetrate and be a threat as well. So it's kind of hard to stop those combinations," McCants said.
One reason that Carolina's penetration has been more effective is because of its engine, Cetera DeGraffenreid. The freshmen made the ACC All-Rookie team but Hatchell was quick to remind everyone that her contribution to this year's team goes beyond statistics. Sure, her numbers have been good this year but you have to watch her play to fully appreciate her speed and athleticism. You have to be a member of the team to understand the difficulty of the job she took on this season and the way she has handled it with seeming ease.
"I don't think she gets the credit she deserves. We lost Ivory Latta. She was a junior when she was National Player of the Year and led our team to two Final Fours, and we lose her. Some people thought that we were going to step down. Then Alex tears her knee up in our third or fourth game. So our freshmen are thrown in the fire," Hatchell said. "We've got a pretty good record and we're ranked second in the country. She played well against Tennessee and Connecticut and Duke and Virginia and Maryland. She played great against the top competition in the country. Except for Maya Moore - she's just an unbelievable player - I think T has got to be the second or third best freshman in the country for what she's does for our team. It's not just numbers; it's the leadership that she's provided."
There was a moment of silence observed before the game even began in honor of slain student body president Eve Carson. Some of the members of the team were close with Carson, particularly Laura Barry. The coaching staff wore blue ribbons to honor Carson and the players wore ribbons on their shoelaces and wrote messages to Carson on their shoes.
"I just feel that with Eve being such a leader at our school and as much as she accomplished to help the community, it kind of really hit close to home. A lot of us didn't think that something like this could happen in Chapel Hill. So I just think it hit close to home and it kind of gave us a little awakening. We just wanted to honor her for all she's done for the University," Pringle said.
Lauren Brownlow is the managing editor of Tar Heel Monthly.
