University of North Carolina Athletics
Turner's Take: Cherry Bomb
March 24, 2015 | Women's Basketball, Featured Writers, Turner Walston
By Turner Walston
She did it again. Seventeen days after she hit a last-second shot to force overtime against Louisville in the ACC Tournament, freshman Jamie Cherry did it again. Only this time, it was for the win.
The Tar Heels played an immaculate first half, taking a 50-32 lead into intermission on the back of 18 points from Stephanie Mavunga, four three-pointers from Brittany Rountree and just two total turnovers. But Ohio State didn't quit. They picked up the defensive pressure, forcing Tar Heel miscues, and turned 14 turnovers into 29 points. The Buckeyes looked to freshman sensation Kelsey Mitchell, who poured in 25 on the game, and junior Ameryst Alston, who scored 30. Slowly but surely, Ohio State sliced into the Tar Heel lead.
Carolina led by nine points with 2:52 on the clock, but panicked under pressure, committing turnovers on three possessions, missing two free throws and committing another turnover. Mitchell nailed a confident three-pointer to tie the game with 39 seconds remaining.
The Tar Heels regained the lead with ten seconds left on a Latifah Coleman jumper, but a foul at the other end put Mitchell on the line for two shots and five seconds on the clock. After she hit the first, Sylvia Hatchell took a timeout to plan for a myriad of possibilities.
“For one thing, to try to ice the shooter,” Hatchell said of the stoppage. “And also, I told them what to do . . . you've got plenty of time, you've got one dribble per second, you've got plenty of time to come down and get a good shot.”
Hatchell made a substitution, too, putting Cherry in the game for N'Dea Bryant. At that point, the Tar Heels didn't need the size advantage, so the team went with another ball-handler and shooter.
“It was sort of divine intervention, and I just thought, 'Put Jamie in,' because I know she can make it,” Hatchell said. “Ivory (Latta, assistant coach and former Tar Heel) said she told me to do that. I didn't hear Ivory, but she said she told me to do that, so I'll give Ivory credit for that.”
Wherever credit is due, the substitution was the right call. After Mitchell tied the game on her second free throw, it was Cherry who took the inbounds pass from Allisha Gray.
“Every time Coach Hatchell puts me in the game with that little bit of time on the clock, my whole mindset is just, get down the court and get a great shot,” Cherry said.
She caught the ball on a curl (a trick learned from Rountree, according to Hatchell) and moved up the near sideline. Against Louisville, Cherry used a screen to get free. This time, the Tar Heels employed a box shape to get the ball in a guard's hands.
Cherry crossed midcourt with 3.9 seconds remaining. With Mitchell beaten down the court, Shayla Cooper moved off of Mavunga to try and slow the ball. Cherry took a dribble to move inside of Cooper, stopped near the three-point line and launched an off-balance shot. Nothing but net.
Six-tenths of a second remained, and the Tar Heel bench threatened to spill out onto the court. Time ran out before Ohio State got off a desperation shot. Carolina was sweet again.
The Tar Heels will take the short trip to Greensboro for a Sweet 16 rematch with South Carolina, a team Carolina beat in this round a year ago. The Gamecocks are 32-2 on the year. “They've got size, they've got shooters . . .they're just a really, really good team. We're going to have to play really, really well, but hey, you know, anything can happen.”
Anything can happen indeed. Even a Cherry bomb.
