UNC overcomes slow start against Eagles

Last year’s visit to Boston College was a memorable occasion for the North Carolina women’s basketball team as coach Sylvia Hatchell became the third women’s coach in history to reach 900 wins.

And on the heels of Wednesday’s announcement that their beloved coach is in remission after battling leukemia since being diagnosed in October , the No. 9 Tar Heels returned to Conte Forum Sunday and defeated the Eagles 73-56.

The final score overshadowed the slow start UNC had offensively. The team only managed to score nine points on 4-of-12 shooting by the second media timeout almost nine minutes into the game.

Associate head coach Andrew Calder attributed the slow start to Boston College’s multiple defensive schemes.

“I thought they gave us some problems — they mixed it up with the 1-1-3 and 2-3 (zones),” Calder said. “I thought they showed some man and then went zone, showed some zone and went to man a few times. I thought they mixed us up.”

Slow starts are something the team has grown accustomed to in recent games. But again, the Tar Heels (16-3, 4-1 ACC) were able to adjust, garnering their lead to as many as 22 points in the second half.

Freshman guard Allisha Gray and sophomore forward Xylina McDaniel led the charge for UNC with 16 points apiece.

Gray was particularly instrumental in North Carolina’s win as she was able to ward off the Eagles several times as a result of her timely shooting.

The most notable of these situations was at the end of the first half when the Eagles (11-8, 2-3) were able to cut the UNC lead down to just two points with 3:21 remaining.

Gray then proceeded to go on an individual 7-0 run that gave the Tar Heels a nine-point lead and eventual seven-point cushion heading into the locker room .

Gray finished the game 4-for-9 from 3-point land, and said her hot shooting came as a result of her teammates’ ability to distribute the ball.

“My teammates did well at finding me, because I was open,” said Gray, who has scored 16 points in back-to-back games . “They did well passing the ball, and I was able to get the shot.”

Gray’s ability to connect from long range significantly contrasted from that of Boston College, which was third in the ACC in 3-point shooting entering Sunday’s contest. But on Sunday, the Eagles concluded walked away from the court just 5-for-20 from the perimeter.

McDaniel said UNC’s defense played an integral role in inhibiting Boston College from connecting from long distance, and the effort the team showed on that side of the ball led to the victory.

“Defense was very good in my eyes,” said McDaniel, who finished two rebounds shy of a double-double. “BC, they are a 3-point shooting team.

“I think for us to limit their 3’s the way we did and play the team defense the way we did, it was an amazing game.”

sports@dailytarheel.com