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10 FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 22, 2008 Sizing up this years squad In success, UNC silences doubts BY DAVID ELY SPORTS EDITOR After another white-washing of a conference opponent Thursday Miami the latest victim the North Carolina women’s basketball team sits atop the ACC. unscathed at 12-0. And now that the Tar Heels have approached the season's stretch run toward March Madness, it's only natural to wonder where this team should be placed in the pecking order of the previous UNC elite. "Oh wow I don't know,” coach Sylvia Hatchell said Tuesday when asked how this year's edition stacks up against her previous two squads. "That's hard to say. The other two went to the Final Four; this team hasn’t done that yet. This team has a lot to live up to.” That’s exactly what the Tar Heels have done thus far, despite many preseason claims that they didn't have the horses to replicate past l>ostseason success. Much of that speculation revolved around the matter of replacing Ivory Latta and fellow departed senior Camille Little. A player of 1 -atta’s caliber doesn't come around too often, and many pundits open ly questioned how Hatchell could replace Latta's school-record 2,285 [xrints and on-court leadership. "I think people expected us not to be good without Ivory and Camille," senior Krlana Larkins said. “We really miss them a lot. hut 1 feel like we just surprised a lot of people. I mean, who thought that we'd be Schools board plans for coming year Sening array of needs is a top priority BY ROBERT C. GUNST JR. STAFf WRITER Challenging students academi cally and eliminating failure topped Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Neil Pedersen's to do list Thursday. The district s Board of Education set goals and discussed challenges at its annual planning conference. The board must decide how best tiuwrve a growing number of autis 2008 MORGAN WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE I- ■KffHM ■B UNC DEPARTMENT ENGLISH AND J m S;:-.--c°J.... | COMPARATIVE LITERATURE (25-2), losing Ivory and Camille?" As painful as it was to lose those two seniors, their departure enabled UNC to become the jug gernaut that it is today. Without Latta's dependable out side shooting, which propelled UNC to attempt nearly 1.9 threes per game, Hatchell retooled her game plan to fit this year's team's strengths. Instead, the Tar Heels primary option is a Cetera DeGraffenreid led fast break. If that doesn't work, the freshman point guard whips the hall inside to either Larkins or LaToya Pringle, who cither attacks the basket or kicks it back out, where the play starts again or an outside shot is taken. In this manner, UNC plays a more efficient game, shooting 47-9 percent from the field and averag ing 88.3 points an outing. “I think our players complement each other well." Hatchell said. “Erlana, she draws attention, gets double teamed. If she kicks it out, those guards know, ‘Hey, if I get it into Erlana, if she doesn't have something, she's gonna get it to me if I'm open.'" While Pringle admitted the Tar Heels do need to hit more shots from the perimeter, she saw one area in particular where the 'OB team trumps her previous squads intensity. Ever since a January meltdown at UConn, North Carolina has been a different team. Now even player talks about playing all 40 minutes of every game, and that mantra has tic and dyslexic students. This year, the district teaches 149 autistic children and 332 chil dren with learning disabilities, said Margaret Blackwell, the district's executive director of Exceptional Children and Student Senices. The district is a leader in deal ing with exceptional children. Blackwell said. They take into account federal mandates, state policies, parent expectations and !Hly£r& m DTH FILE/KATE NAFMER Senior Erlana Larkins leads the Tar Heels in rebounds per game. Larkins is looking to appear in her third straight Final Four with UNC. fueled UNC through its current eight-game winning streak. “Last year we didn't really have that kind of pivotal moment that really changed our outlook," Pringle said. “I think we just kind of coasted throughout the whole season with us only losing to Duke." If there Ls one shortcoming, its on the defensive end. said the Tar Heels continue to struggle with their transition and team defense. “At this point in the year, several years ago we had our team defense down." she said. “We understood our concept sort of on each side, and we just haven't gotten that together this year." the needs of the individual student, she said. Blackwell told the board she favors increased instruction that monitors progress through tests and other assessments to help exceptional children succeed in the classroom, instead of simply allowing children to have extra test time. “These children still need to be supported," Blackwell said. Pedersen emphasized that the district faces challenges in improv ing the experience of the growing News Comparing recent women's teams 2007*08 team ► Points scored per game; 88.3 ► Points allowed per game; 63.4 ► 3-pointers made per game: 4.1 ► Field goal percentage: .479 ► Rebounding differential: +IO.B 2006-07 team* ► Points scored per game: 83.7 ► Points allowed per game: 55.0 ► 3-pointers made per game: 63 ► Field goal percentage: .467 ► Rebounding differential: +IO.B 2005*06 team* ► Points scored per game: 822 ► Points allowed per game: 59.9 ► 3-pointers made per game: 7.1 ► Reid goal percentage: .470 ► Rebounding differential: +4.5 ‘made Final Four But as long as the Tar Heels con tinue to play at their accustomed breakneck pace, any defensive defi ciency could be erased by UNC’s potent offense come March. And while this year’s team has a long way to ago before proving it deserves to be placed among the squads, Pringle said the potential is there for greatness. “I think this team could be the best out of the teams that went to the Final Four." Contact the Sports Editor at sportsfa unc.edu. and diverse population of students, while retaining good teachers. Teacher turnover dropped to 8.5 percent in the 2006-07 school year from 16.43 percent in 2005-06. The board will meet again today for day two of the conference to dis cuss possible technological inno vations. the current needs of the faculty, and the superintendent’s operating budget for the 2008-09 school year. Contact the City Editor at citydeskfa.unc.edu. j*i_ll H I m f A \ (vft fl iXi 1 K: fit fl LQv) HEELS TAKE ON THE GATORS GIITT CARD TO Enter to win at the event. Must be present to win. Tar Heels shut down Miami Balanced effort key in road win FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) —Senior forward Erlana Larkins scored 18 points to lead No. 2 North Carolina to a 79-61 victory against Miami on Thursday night at the Bank United Center. Junior forward Rashanda McCants finished with 17 points, and Rebecca Gray scored 15 points as the Tar Heels wore down the Hurricanes with two first-half runs. North Carolina (25-2, 12-0 ACC) has won eight straight and 16 of its past 17 games with its only loss at then-No. 1 Connecticut on Jan 21. Senior guard Maurita Reid scored 18 points to lead Miami (9- 17.2-9). She also grabbed seven rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end. The 'Canes have lost eight of their past WOMEN'S BASKETBALL UNC 79 Miami 61 1 UNC's Rashanda McCants scored 17 points in the 79-61 North Carolina victory. nine. Trailing 12-9, the Tar Heels scored 16 unanswered points in a span of 5:50 in the first half and took the lead for good. McCants scored eight points during the spurt. Sophomore forward Jessica Breland’s short jumper with 7:12 remaining in the half capped the run. Reid hit three 3-pointers in the next 1:50 as the Hurricanes cut North Carolina's lead to 27-21. Damisha Moore's field goal with 3:50 left again cut North Carolina's advantage to six at 29-23. But the Tar Heels outscorcd the Hurricanes 18-5 the rest of the half behind Gray’s eight points, including two 3-pointers. North Carolina played without senior forward LaToya Pringle, who injured her hand during the ilhr Dailii aar Hrrl se ond half of UNC's 97-77 victory against Florida State. Miami played without senior center Carla Williams, who had started 22 of the team s 25 games. UM coach Katie Meier suspend ed Williams and freshman center Kathryn Hester for a violation of team rules. Williams was suspended for the North Carolina game while Hester’s suspension is indefinite, according to a statement from the Miami sports information office. 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Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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