University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Clemson
No. 8 UNC Clobbers Clemson, 77-55
January 16, 2003 | Women's Basketball
By PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) - Candace Sutton needed a game like this.
North Carolina's 6-foot-6 junior spent much of the early season hitting chip-shot baskets and controlling the middle. But during the Atlantic Coast Conference season, Sutton's shots have rolled off more often than in.
"I think lately I've been kind of struggling," said Sutton, who scored eight of her 15 points during a decisive second-half run as the eighth-ranked Tar Heels (15-1, 5-0) put away Clemson 77-55 on Thursday night.
It was North Carolina's 12th straight victory as it continued on its best start since opening the season 17-1 in 1999-2000.
"I haven't been shooting the ball as well as I want to," Sutton said. "I'm hoping to take that into the next game."
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It would have been easy to have been distracted, but I was pleased how they remained focused.
Coach Sylvia Hatchell
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And she better. North Carolina next goes into its most important game of the season so far - a showdown with undefeated and top-ranked Duke on Monday.
North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell didn't mention her club's highly regarded neighbor this week, but worried her players' minds might wander past the Lady Tigers (10-5, 2-2).
"It would have been easy to have been distracted," Hatchell said. "But I was pleased how they remained focused."
Especially during the last 13 minutes.
Clemson had rallied from an 11-point deficit to lead 41-40 with 13:31 to go when Sutton began to shine.
She followed La'Tangela Atkinson's missed 3-pointer with an inside basket, then converted two straight shots down low to stretch North Carolina's lead to 49-41. By the time Sutton made a foul shot at the 8:35 mark, the Tar Heels were up 55-43 and pulling away.
Sutton finished a three-point play with 3:03 remaining and North Carolina led 67-49.
The Tar Heels outscored Clemson 37-14 over the last 13 minutes.
"They are far, far better than we were tonight," Clemson coach Jim Davis said.
Leah Metcalf had a season-high 21 points to lead North Carolina, which won for the sixth time in seven games against Clemson.
Atkinson, the flashy freshman who was South Carolina's "Miss Basketball" at Lee Central High, added 11 points. Sutton, who made 6-of-11 shots, added seven rebounds.
And Sutton, Metcalf and Atkinson did it when the Tar Heels' top scorer, Coretta Brown, was held to three points.
"We knew they would key on Coretta," Hatchell said. "We prepared for that."
However, the Lady Tigers couldn't prepare for an awful night from their leading scorer, Chrissy Floyd. She came in averaging 17.5 points, yet was held to 11 on 5-of-20 shooting.
Tabitha Vasilas, who led the Lady Tigers with 13 points, said the team was overwhelmed at the end.
"I have no idea what went wrong," she said. "I guess we just had mental breakdowns."
North Carolina wasted little time taking control. Metcalf had a short jumper and a 3-pointer as the Tar Heels led 13-3. The Lady Tigers missed 10 straight shots during the run and could never get closer than five the rest of the half.
Metcalf led the way with 10 points and the Tar Heels shot 55.6 percent (15-of-27) for the half.
Clemson, meanwhile, had trouble breaking through North Carolina's defense, making only 8 of 31 field goals in the opening period.
Sutton wants to bring the same fierceness into the nationally televised game with Duke.
"We've been hearing a lot about it up there," she said. "I think it's going to be a real exciting game."
