University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 24 UNC Closes Out 2011 With Home Back-To-Back
December 28, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2011
CHAPEL HILL --- North Carolina wraps up the calendar year with back-to-back home games Thursday and Friday against Savannah State and North Carolina Central. Carolina hosts Savannah State on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. before welcoming NCCU on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. UNC is 8-2 on the year following a 65-61 win over East Carolina on Dec. 20 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Savannah State is 5-7 on the season after a 65-39 loss at South Carolina on Dec. 21. NCCU is 2-10 entering Wednesday's game against Gardner-Webb. UNC is ranked No. 24 in the AP poll and No. 23 in the coaches' poll. Savannah State and North Carolina Central are unranked.
AT A GLANCE
Dec. 29, 2:05 p.m.; Dec. 30, 7:05 p.m. • Carmichael Arena (6,822) • Chapel Hill, N.C.
Records: North Carolina 8-2, Savannah State 5-7, North Carolina Central 2-10
Rankings: North Carolina is ranked No. 24 in the AP poll and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. Savannah State and North Carolina Central are unranked.
TV: Carolina All-Access. Tonight's game is available live at TarHeelBlue.com/allaccess.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network, a division of Learfield Communications. Walter Storholt (play-by-play) has the call.
On The Web: TarHeelBlue.com • Twitter: @UNCWBB
SAVANNAH STATE SERIES NOTES
• North Carolina and Savannah State have never met in women's basketball.
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL SERIES NOTES
• North Carolina is 4-0 all-time against NCCU, with the all four meetings coming in Chapel Hill.
• The 2007 matchup was the season opener for both teams and NCCU's first game as a Division I school.
• UNC's 109-32 win over the Lady Eagles in 2007 was Carolina's largest-ever win.
• Carolina handled NCCU, 97-40, last season.
TAR HEELS IN CARMICHAEL ARENA
• Carolina is 402-89 all-time in Carmichael, including a 29-6 record since the building re-opened after being closed for renovations from March 2008 to December 2009.
• The Tar Heels have won at least 14 home games in each of the last 10 seasons, including a school-record 18 during an undefeated 2007-08 home campaign.
• UNC has lost just 15 home games since the start of the 2001-02 season. The Tar Heels have been even more stingy against non-conference opponents, losing at home just twice outside of league play in the last decade.
LAST TIME OUT: No. 23 UNC 65, East Carolina 61
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) --- With over a third of her players out injured, North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell said she is just happy to get to the Christmas break with an 8-2 record. The No. 23 Tar Heels used a rotation of eight players to hang on for a 65-61 win over East Carolina on Tuesday night and now have nine days off to try and get a few players back. In a game where neither team led by more than six, North Carolina's size proved decisive in the end. The Tar Heels twice pulled down rebounds after missing free throws in the final 23 seconds, keeping the Pirates (6-4) from getting a chance to pull off their first upset of a Top 25 team in four years.
SHEGOG REACHES 1,000-POINT MILESTONE
Center Chay Shegog became the newest member of Carolina's 1,000-point club on Nov. 20 when the senior standout scored 19 points against East Carolina. With her 19-point effort against the Lady Pirates, Shegog moved to 1,003 career points, making her the 33rd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Shegog also earned ACC Player of the Week honors for her performance against ECU, adding seven rebounds and a career-high seven blocks to her 19 points.
CAROLINA PLAYING SHORT-HANDED
North Carolina has had a number of players miss game time so far this due to a variety of conditions. Here is the current status:
• Laura Broomfield (foot) has missed four straight games after playing against Penn State. She is dealing with a stress reaction in the fourth metatarsal of her left foot and her status is day-to-day.
• Whitney Adams (shoulder) missed the first three games of the year following an injury during preseason practice. She has played in each of the last seven while wearing a shoulder harness.
• Tierra Ruffin-Pratt (shoulder) is still undergoing rehab following offseason surgery and her status will continue to be evaluated throughout the season.
• Megan Buckland (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the South Carolina game and will miss the rest of the season.
• Latifah Coleman (knee) is expected to undergo surgery during the winter break to repair a torn ACL. She is unlikely to return this season.
• Waltiea Rolle gave birth to her first child in early November and was not enrolled at UNC during the fall semester. She is expected to return to Chapel Hill for the spring semester and her status will be evaluated at that time.
