Women's Hoops End NCAA Run

3/20/2006

By TERESA M. WALKER, AP Sports Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — North Carolina made playing at home little advantage for Vanderbilt.

Ivory Latta scored 27 points, and the top-ranked and top-seeded Tar Heels tuned out the pro Vandy crowd in an 89-70 victory Monday night in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

With the victory, the Tar Heels (31-1) reached the regional semifinals for a second straight year and the 10th in their last 12 tournament appearances. They will play either Purdue or UCLA, who play Tuesday night, on Sunday in Cleveland.

North Carolina advanced in style by winning its first two games on the road for only the second time in school history. The Tar Heels won their first two games in 2002 in Santa Barbara.

Tar Heels coach Sylvia Hatchell hadn’t been happy since the brackets were released at the prospect of having to play essentially a road game in the second round against a Vandy program looking for a third straight semifinal berth of its own.

But her Tar Heels handed Vanderbilt (21-11) its first NCAA tournament loss in Memorial Gym, snapping a 15-0 run by the Commodores, whose only nod to being the road team was their black uniforms. They even sat on their own bench, sending the Tar Heels to the other end line reserved for visitors.

Erlana Larkins added 22 points, Alex Miller had 16 and Camille Little 10 as the Tar Heels dominated Vandy with their speed. They turned 22 turnovers into 28 points and outscored Vandy inside 44-30.

Carla Thomas led Vanderbilt with 17 points. Caroline Williams and Nicole Jules each added 11.

North Carolina won the other meeting between these teams in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Dec. 20, 87-67. This was much more competitive even though the Tar Heels used an early 10-0 run to grab they’d never relinquish.

Trailing 48-34 at halftime, Vanderbilt opened up the second half hitting seven of its first nine shots in a 14-3 run capped by Davis’ three-point play. Guarded by Latta, she drove the baseline and scored on a layup, then hit the free throw with 16:21 to go.

Vandy trimmed the lead to three twice more, the last at 63-60 on a 3-pointer by Cherish Stringfield with 11:48 left but could get no closer.

With Williams, Carla Thomas and Nicole Jules all in foul trouble, the Tar Heels finally gave themselves some breathing room by scoring the next seven points and 12 of the next 14. The Commodores never got within single digits again.