University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Carson-Newman (exhibition)
Tar Heels Cruise In Exhibition Over Carson-Newman
November 6, 2014 | Women's Basketball
The lop-sided win was overshadowed by the return of Tar Heel Hall of Fame head coach Sylvia Hatchell. Exactly one year to the day that she famously shaved her head during her treatment for leukemia, Hatchell was perched at her much more comfortable location on the bench to begin her 29th season in Chapel Hill.
A 21-4 run that spanned portions of both periods broke open an already one-sided affair as the Tar Heels rolled to victory in its first of two tuneup games before next Friday's regular-season opener against Howard on Nov. 14.
Xylina McDaniel, who scored the first bucket of the game that jump started a 10-0 Tar Heel run to open the game, added 15 points and four rebounds, while Danielle Butts had 10 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
Carson-Newman shot just 18 percent from the floor, and didn't score its first two points until the 12:34 mark on a layup from Lacy Miller.
UNC freshman Jamie Cherry (13 points) later banked in a short jumper off a fast-beak opportunity for the 19-4 advantage, marking the first made basket for the rookie from Cove City, N.C.
Sophomores Gray and Stephanie Mavunga (eight points, eight rebounds) showed why they were named preseason All-ACC by taking over in the late stages of the first half, combining for the final 15 points to take a 37-14 lead into intermission.
The second half started much like the first ended. Brittany Rountree found Mavunga on a cross-court pass to cap a 9-2 run, giving UNC a 46-16 lead.
The aforementioned 21-4 run allowed Carolina to grab a 51-16 lead at the 14:05 mark. The streak was capped by a free throw from Megan Buckland, who also returned to the UNC lineup after missing nearly all of the 2013-14 season with a knee injury.
A pair of free throws from Gray put the Heels up 40, 67-27, with just under six minutes remaining in regulation.
Cherry, the reigning North Carolina High School Player of the Year, scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half, showing off her vast scoring skills that allowed her to score over 3,000 points at West Craven High School.
Carolina scored 33 points off 27 miscues by the visiting Eagles. The Tar Heels defense also had 17 steals and turned many of those opportunities into 26 fast-break points on the night.
UNC shot 62.1 percent in the second half, outscoring Carson-Newman, 51-13 after halftime.
