12
Thursday, February 3, 2000
UNC Looks for Better Luck Against Tack
N.C. State's Monica Bates
made four 3-pointers in the
Wolfpack's 79-72 win against
the Tar Heeis on Jan. 3.
By Bret Strelow
Assistant Sports Editor
The North Carolina women’s bas
ketball team is entrenched in a game of
Russian roulette.
As the Tar Heels develop a strategy
to defend N.C. State, the smart money
rests on stopping Wolfpack center
Summer Erb, last year’s ACC Player of
the Year and this season’s pick to repeat.
But therein lies the slim chance that
such a plan could backfire and allow the
Wolfpack’s wing players to enjoy a field
day from behind the arc.
Earlier this year, the bullet landed in
the fatal chamber - the right hand of
N.C. State junior Monica Bates.
Bates drilled 4 of-8 shots from
behind the arc and finished with 19
points in the Wolfpack’s 79-72 victory
against the Tar Heels onjan. 3.
Bates has hit 27 percent of her
3-point tries this season and averages
5.3 points a game.
In nine ACC games, she has made
7-of-28 attempts from beyond the arc
and is scoring 4.7 points a contest.
“Last time, we did a pretty good job
on Erb,” UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell
said. “It was the ones that normally
don’t score a whole lot, like Bates, that
made the difference.”
While the Wolfpack (16-4, 7-2 in the
ACC) connected on 10-of-20 trifectas,
Erb was held to 13 points.
She has since picked up her level of
play, though. Erb scored 25 points in
Monday’s victory against Wake Forest
and is averaging 21.4 points in N.C.
State’s last five games.
BRAKES
50% OFF
Pads and Shoes
EXPIRES 5/15/00
EXHAUST
S2O OFF
any exhaust that consists of
muffler & tailpipe
EXPIRES 5/15/00
THE
Internet
has
EMPOWERED
MILLIONS 11
AND LED the last
TO THE p Z y
CREATION OF m
A UNIVERSAL
COMMUNITY. I!
TimeDance.com gives you total control of parties, meetings, study groups, intramural teams and any other \ t
events you have to organize. TimeDance.com is the best way to get people together. No cost. No spam. * *•
No hassle. No endless phone or email tag. Just the fastest way to let everyone know when and where ... rp • -p*
and to let you know they can make it. Get together now with TimeDance.com 1
V„ - (
% ■ * * ■ .■<^7
f 1 / V T &
I m3* . to § Jr
fk £o* Jto
k /’tjß
DTH/CARA BRICKMAN
N.C. State center Summer Erb, shown here against UNC last year,
is averaging 15.4 points and 8.0 rebounds a game through 20 games.
The Tar Heels (11-9,3-6) are worried
about containing Erb, but the
Wolfpack’s outside shooting has some
what altered their defensive strategy.
“We’re going to try to front her, get in
Winter Specials
asshsfe*
and Brakas
407 E. Main Street • Carr boro
933-6888
Ak How To Rocohto A FREE kMnekeA T-Shirt
front of her, try to make sure she does
n’t get the ball,” said UNC forward
LaQuanda Barksdale, who leads the
ACC in scoring with 17.5 points a game.
“Before, we tried to double down,
SHOCKS
Buy 3 and Get One FREE
(right rear) or 25 % OFF the
second shock with purchase of 2
EXPIRES 5/15/00
OIL CHANGE
| $19.95 Oil Change OR
• $9.95 with any Brake, Shock
or Exhaust Service
EXPIRES 5/15/00
Sports
and that left the 3-point shooters open.”
The Tar Heels are working to make
changes at the offensive end, too.
UNC is shooting 38.8 percent from
the field, tied for last in the conference.
Against ACC teams, the Tar Heels’ per
centage drops to 34.5.
Those numbers don’t bode well for
North Carolina. N.C. State owns a 15-2
record this year when it holds oppo
nents to less than 45-percent shooting
from the field.
Hatchell said junior point guard
Nikki Teasley’s return has given the Tar
Heels a newfound confidence on the
offensive end.
“They all know they’re better players
with Nikki because, first of all, the
defense has got to play Nikki,” Hatchell
said. “They concentrate on Nikki a lot,
which draws the defense away from
them. Nikki’s able to get them the bas
ketball.”
Teasley Dispels Rumors
There has been much speculation
surrounding the leave of absence
Teasley took before the team’s Jan. 6
meeting with Virginia.
Wednesday after practice, Teasley sat
down with reporters and dispelled some
of the rumors that had been floating
around.
“There’s a lot of rumors going on *
about me possibly being pregnant, or
sick, on drugs or something like that,”
Teasley said. “That’s not the case at all.
I’m perfectly fine.”
Teasley also called any talk of a pos
sible fight with Hatchell at practice
“crazy.”
She said that she wasn’t ready to dis
cuss the details of her absence yet but
added that she would do so in the near
future.
Hatchell said Teasley will not start
against the Wolfpack.
Teasley played 31 minutes against
Maryland, her first action since the loss
to N.C. State.
Teasley struggled to an 0-for-5 shoot
ing performance in the first half but fin
ished the game with 11 points and five
assists.
“In practice, she’s getting better and
starting to look like her old self,”
Hatchell said.
“She’s not going to come back and
play great right away. Hopefully a game
like State will motivate her.”
The Sports Editor can be reached at
, > —.- sports@unc.edu.
Coming Attractions
North Carolina rootbaH coach Carl Torbush announced the Tar Heels' signings Wednesday,
National Letter of Intent Day. UNC signed 18 high school student-athletes for next season.
2000 UNC Football National Utter of Intent Signees
Name Ht. Wt. Pos. Hometown High School
Jermkus Banks 6-5 235 Dl Raleigh Millbrook
Justin Barton 6-6 290 OL Voorhees, N.J. Eastern Regional
Devilen Bullard 6-1 215 LB Red Springs Pumell-Swett
Jason Crawford 6-2 215 RB Forestville, Md. Parkdaie
Parian Durant 6-1 215 QB Florence, S.C. Wilson
Blake Ferguson 6-0 170 P/PK Broken Arrow, Okla. Bixby
Clarence Gaddy 64 210 DL/LB Bunn Level Western Harnett
Madison Hedgecock 6-3 235 ATH Kemersvilie Ledford
Lawrence Jessup 6-6 230 DL Miami, Fla. Miami Country Day >
Kitwana Jones 6-0 220 LB Wilmington Laney/Fork Union
Aaron Leak 6-3 215 QB Durham Riverside .
JoVon Lewis 6-1 175 DB Greensboro Ragsdale
Bryant Macklin 6-0 195 DB Elm City Fike
Isaac Montgomery 6-5 285 DL Princeton, W.Va. Princeton Senior
Brandon Russell 5-11 185 RB Atlanta, Ga. Marist ‘
Skip Seagraves 6-5 250 OL Burlington Williams
Jonas Seawright 6-6 290 DL Orangeburg, S.C. Orangeburg Wilkinson
Andre’Williams 6-0 215 RB Durham Northern
SOURCE: UNC SPORTS INFORMATION
Torbush Announces
2000 Recruiting Class
By Mike Ogle
Assistant Sports Editor
Following a season of uncertainty at
quarterback, North Carolina football
coach Carl Torbush announced a 2000
recruiting class Wednesday that includes
two QBs.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that
(signing quarterbacks) was the most
important,” Torbush said. “To not be
able to sign one last year, as everybody
saw, it about caught up with us.”
Aaron Leak, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound
USA Today All-America honorable
mention selection from Durham
Riverside, threw for 1,593 yards and 23
touchdowns as a senior.
“He’s got outstanding athletic skills,”
Torbush said. “He’s a basketball player,
baseball player. I don’t believe he’s even
close to reaching his potential yet.”
The Tar Heels also signed quarter
back Darian Durant (6-1, 215 pounds)
out of Florence, S.C. Despite missing six
games last year with a broken leg,
Durant set school records by throwing
for 2,446 yards and 25 TDs. He also
earned USA Today All-America honor
able-mention honors.
With the losses of Brian Schmitz and
Josh torbush said newcomer
Qlljp Sally (Ear MerT
Blake Ferguson would have a quicker,
opportunity to play than the rest of his
class. The Oklahoma native averaged
42 yards a punt last year and made field
goals of 57 and 51 yards.
Torbush also said he was excited
about a pair of defensive linemen: Isaac
Montgomery (6-5, 285) and Jonas
Seawright (6-6, 290).
Another area of question for UNC
has been at running back. With a sur
prise announcement Wednesday morn
ing from Forestville, Md., native Jason
Crawford (6-2, 215), the Tar Heels will
bring in three new runners next year.
Crawford joins USA Today All-
America honorable-mention picks;
Andre’ Williams (6-0, 215) of Durham
and Brandon Russell (5-11, 185) iff
Atlanta.
“I like athletes. That’s one thing I like
about most of these guys,” Torbush said.
“If you look down the list, probably two
thirds of them are basketball players and
also either run track or play baseball. *
“Quite honestly, I’d rather have that
than a pure football player who’s already
been lifting weights for four or five years
and is probably just about maxed out.”
The Sports Editor can be reached at
sports@urc.eVu.