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Tar Heels Fall To Duke In ACC Tournament Final, 77-59
March 10, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 10, 2003
March 10, 2003
By Adam Lucas
GREENSBORO--As the Tar Heels learned when they lost to Duke earlier this season in Chapel Hill, it's not a good idea to give Gail Goestenkors' team too many second chances.
The Blue Devils prevailed in that game when a last-second foul came a breath after the final buzzer, negating what might have been a pair of game-winning free throws for the Tar Heels. Duke eventually prevailed in overtime.
The Devils didn't need overtime Monday night in Greensboro in the ACC Tournament championship game. They just needed a barrage of second-half second chances, as they hauled down a bevy of offensive rebounds in the half on their way to a 77-59 victory in which the score was indicative only of the last four minutes, not of the first 36.
What made the second half even more frustrating was that the Tar Heels constantly emphasize rebounding. It's usually among the first and last things Sylvia Hatchell goes over with her team in the locker room, and it's much more highly prized in the Carolina locker room than scoring.
It was that much more galling, then, to watch Alana Beard twist and leap through the UNC defense, seemingly never getting the first grip on the ball, but always pulling it down after it was tipped once or twice in a scrum.
"She was a beast out there on the boards," Jennifer Thomas said. "She wanted the ball and no one boxed her out, so she just came out and upped her intensity."
Carolina's frustration boiled over in an uncharacteristic second-half outburst from Hatchell, who exploded over a non-call and picked up a technical foul, perhaps walking the borderline of being tossed from the game until assistant head coach Andrew Calder intervened.
"The technical fired us up," said Tillis, who immediately broke into a wide smile when it happened and also banked in a three-pointer that might have been the back-breaker. "I think a technical can help the other team, and I think we knew we had the game wrapped up then."
As frustrating as the second half was, the first half was a blueprint for how good this Carolina team can be. Hatchell went deep into her bench, at one point substituting five fresh players at a time, and got stellar contributions from all of them. Thomas provided a major first half lift, scoring eight tough points in the paint on a variety of spin and pump fake moves. Courtney Chambers provided a defensive spark and also hit a key three-pointer later in the game, and Jessica Sell knocked down one of her trademark hair-trigger three-pointers.
Those contributions from the bench perfectly complemented solid play from Coretta Brown, who scored five quick points at the start of the game to ensure she wouldn't have another subpar game against the rivals, and Candace Sutton, who continued her capable ACC Tournament play.
On the other end of the court, the Heels successfully mixed a variety of zones and man-to-man looks to harass Duke into 27 percent shooting, and more importantly, holding Carolina-killer Iciss Tillis scoreless. That combination propelled them to a six-point halftime advantage that occasionally swelled to double figures.
That's the kind of effort the Heels have to have in the NCAA Tournament if they are to fulfill their potential--which as they showed Monday night against what is certainly one of the best two teams in the country, could take them at least to the Final Four. Brown, Sutton, and Nikita Bell (who was hampered by foul trouble on Monday night) are potentially one of the best triumvirates in the country. When Carolina gets into trouble, however, is when they rely too much on those three players, or when the trio tries to take on too much of the offensive responsibility.
It's entirely possible that these two teams could meet again in April in Atlanta. And if they do, the Heels don't need to provide any second chances--of any kind.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly, click here.
