University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
UNC Women's Basketball Tops FSU, 75-62
January 18, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2001
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Juana Brown led the Tar Heels with 21 points as UNC defeated Florida State 75-62 Thursday night at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center. FSU fell to 11-5 overall and 3-3 in ACC play, while the Tar Heels improved to 10-6 and 4-3 in league play.
Florida State scored first, but then North Carolina jumped out to a 10-2 lead, behind two big three-pointers by Juana Brown. The Seminoles pulled to within three at 10-7 when Whiting, who led all scorers in the first half with 13 points, hit a trey at the 14:27 mark. UNC went on to score five straight to take its largest lead of eight points at 15-7 with 12:33 on the clock and led the remainder of the half. The Tribe pulled to within a point at 29-28 at the 2:00 mark on a Molly Beal three-pointer but trailed by three at the half 34-31. FSU shot 42 percent for the half while the Tar Heels shot 41 percent. UNC was led by Candace Sutton's 10 points and the Tar Heels had a 20-17 edge in rebounding. Vujas had eight points and a team-high seven rebounds at the break. Whiting was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The Seminoles opened the half with a quick bucket and pulled to within a point three times within the first three minutes of the second half. FSU finally tied the game at 44-44 with 15:39 left in the game and took its first lead, since the opening minute of the game, at the 15:11 mark. The Tribe went up five at 49-44 at the 13:12 mark, but then the Tar Heels went on a 22-3 run and took a commanding 66-52 lead with 5:22 remaining. UNC's largest lead was 15 points. The Noles pulled to within 10 three times in the final 1:39 of the game, but could get no closer. LaQuanda Barksdale and Candace Sutton had 15 apiece, while Coretta Brown had 10. Barksdale also led the team with 10 rebounds, while leading scorer Juana Brown had a career-high seven steals.
"The first half, I thought we played really sluggish," UNC Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "We couldn't get anything going offensively. In the second half, we got down by five and all of a sudden, it was like someone lit a fire under us and we started playing Carolina basketball. We had some kids come off the bench and help us out. Juana's (Brown) threes were big. We made some big buckets when we needed to."
Shinikki Whiting led FSU with a season-high 17 points while Katelyn Vujas recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. April Traylor also tallied double figures with 10 points for the Seminoles, who shot 45 percent for the game. FSU leading scorer Brooke Wyckoff was held to just six points and had six rebounds. The Tribe was outrebounded 36-33 and committed 22 turnovers while recording a season-low eight assists.
"We need to step up come game time," Wyckoff said. "We practice well. When game time comes, everything needs to be about winning."
The Tar Heels' next action is a nonconference meeting with Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon.Tipoff for the ACC/Big 12 Challenge is 3 p.m. at Carmichael Auditorium.
