Carson-Newman no match for Tar Heels in exhibition game

They’re not just fast. They’re Carolina fast.

That’s what coach Sylvia Hatchell and her players are calling the athletic style of play that helped North Carolina defeat exhibition opponent Carson-Newman, Hatchell’s alma mater, 106-29 Sunday afternoon.

“We’ve given a little more direction to our aggressiveness on offense,” Hatchell said. “Instead of just saying ‘drive,’ they drive with purpose. They know a little more of what they’re looking for, what to do. In any situation they go in with the dribble drive, they’ve got four or five options.”

In the first half, the Tar Heels relied on the dribble-drive to compensate for dismal 0-9 3-point shooting. UNC still shot a respectable 44 percent from the floor in the half.

But they couldn’t have shot much worse than the Lady Eagles, who connected on 3.8 percent of their shots — going one-for-26 — and didn’t score a field goal until the 9:35 mark in the first half.

Meanwhile, the Tar Heels made the most of their advantages in size and athleticism to force 25 turnovers, 15 of which were steals.

“That’s definitely part of the new ‘Carolina fast’ that we’re trying to do this year, because we’re more athletic,” said senior forward Krista Gross, who led all scorers with 15 points. “With the depth, we can press more and have a lot more people fresh all the time. It definitely adds to the pressure we can put on people.”

At one point, UNC led 24-1, and at halftime it held a 52-7 lead.

In the second half, shots began falling for Carson-Newman. Unfortunately for the Lady Eagles, UNC heated up as well.

Though Carson-Newman opened the half with two buckets on consecutive possessions, the Tar Heels would shoot 50 percent in the second half from behind the arc and up their field goal percentage to 54 percent.

UNC’s hard-pressing defense and physical offense continued to dominate Carson-Newman, despite featuring younger players during most of the second half.

Xylina McDaniel, UNC’s highly-touted freshman forward, contributed 12 points and nine rebounds. Starting her first game in Carmichael Arena, she looked poised.

“Playing with the AAU, I always played up, ahead of my age group, so I was kind of used to it,” McDaniel said. “But then again, it did slow down once I got back to high school. So having to transition from high school to college, it was tough, but I’m adjusting pretty well.”

Tierra Ruffin-Pratt’s coast-to-coast play at point-guard helped keep the pace up, as well as adding the control Hatchell wants to characterize this year’s team.

“She’s doing a great job, Hatchell said. “Her size and her decision-making up there makes a big difference. “

Because Carson-Newman is a perennial exhibition opponent for UNC, Hatchell said the game can be a helpful barometer early in the season.

“Last year, at halftime, we were ahead by four,” Hatchell said, pausing to allow the magnitude of Sunday’s 52-7 halftime margin to sink in. “I think it was 32-28 at halftime. I know we’re better than we were last year. There’s no doubt about that.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com