Clemson Sends Tar Heels Packing

But the seventh-seeded Tar Heels didn't play big in their 75-57 loss to second-seeded Clemson in a quarterfinal game of the ACC tournament. UNC handled eighth-seeded Georgia Tech

79-64 on Friday in a first-round matchup.

"They just pretty much manhandled us," said UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell, whose team likely lost its last hope of an NCAA invite with the early exit. "When you get to tournament time, usually the team that's most physical is the one that's going to advance and move on."

Manhandle the Tigers did.

Clemson outscored North Carolina 40-18 in the paint, outrebounded the Tar Heels 44-38, outdid them 15-8 on the offensive board and outscored them 15-6 in second-chance points.

The Tigers (20-8) did such damage despite the fact that second-team All-ACC center Erin Batth played just 16 minutes before fouling out with 7:40 remaining in the game.

The 6-foot-4 senior hit one of seven shots from the field, scored three points and collected six rebounds before her early departure.

No matter. Four of her teammates (Julie Aderhold, Nuria Forns, Marci Glenney and Krystal Scott) picked up at least six boards apiece.

Glenney led the way offensively with her game-high 18 points. Scott tallied 17 points and six assists, while Forns and Chrissy Floyd chipped in with 13 points each.

"Erin Batth means so much to our team, and she was limited on her playing time today," Clemson coach Jim Davis said. "I told her, and I told the team that that proves it's a team game.

"We were able to pick her up on a bad day."

UNC (15-14) couldn't say the same about its center.

Candace Sutton found a very similar fate as Batth's. The 6-6 freshman was severely limited by foul trouble. She picked up her fourth foul with 15:51 left in the contest, limiting her to 17 minutes, seven points and four rebounds.

But Sutton's teammates didn't provide the same relief that Batth's did, particularly in the first half when Clemson gained a 35-22 advantage.

Senior LaQuanda Barksdale, whose silky smooth touch led to 25 points Friday, went 2-for-11 in Saturday's first half.

It was a particularly ugly 2-for-11 that included a jumper that hit the glass and nothing else, a scoop shot rejected by the underside of the backboard, an airball and two missed layups.

She found her touch later to finish with 16 points and 11 rebounds, but the damage had been done.

Juana Brown and Coretta Brown shot a combined 7-for-22 in the game for 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Tigers, who lost to the Tar Heels by a point twice in the regular season, got their revenge on North Carolina in the postseason.

"It was just something everybody had on their minds," Floyd said. "Wanting to play Carolina again and show them that we're a better team."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.