Wolfpack rolls over Tar Heels

RALEIGH — After a competitive 10-minute start by the North Carolina women’s basketball team against N.C. State on Monday, the No. 13 Tar Heels’ defense collapsed in the paint.

Shot after shot in the post followed by a pair of back-to-back 3-pointers quickly turned into a 21-0 run by the Wolfpack (12-15, 3-9 ACC) during the first half, leading to an 88-72 victory for unranked N.C. State in Reynolds Coliseum.

“I thought we had people driving at the right time,” N.C. State coach Kellie Harper said. “I thought we kicked at the right time, we made shots and we got to the free-throw line. That was huge — we were very aggressive.”

Although junior Laura Broomfield battled for a career-high 18 rebounds in her double-double performance, the rest of North Carolina’s defense was smothered by N.C. State’s offensive pressure.

An exposed perimeter and wide-open jumpers gave the Wolfpack momentum to build a 12-point lead at the half.

“I told them in the locker room, ‘You may be doing some good things out there, but I need kids that can score,’” UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said.

And for a moment in the second half, it looked as if that momentum had appeared for the Tar Heels.

UNC’s motivational fist pumps and claps of frustration halted momentarily as junior She’la White spurred a comeback with three 3-pointers in four possessions.

But the Tar Heels’ 55-52 lead was short lived as the team’s 19 turnovers and just one steal quickly added up to send North Carolina into another momentum-killing deficit.

“We fought hard to get back in it and take the lead,” Hatchell said, “but then I thought those kids just bared down hard for N.C. State.”

The Wolfpack turned to a confident approach at the free-throw line, racking up 21 points from fouls aplenty by the desperately physical Tar Heels.

N.C. State also committed just four turnovers during the game, the lowest in school history, to maintain a rhythm that sent the game into a series of Wolfpack runs.

Amber White led N.C. State with a game-high 23 points, complemented by four other teammates who scored in the double digits.

“No matter how much we scored, if we can’t stop the other team then it just doesn’t matter,” Broomfield said. “We just (allowed) too many easy baskets in there.”

Senior Cetera DeGraffenreid picked up 12 points with fastbreak layups in the final minutes, as fellow leaders Jessica Breland and Italee Lucas were held to 10 points each.

Despite a strong presence under the basket on both ends of the court, not even UNC’s rebounding margin of 65-56 could counter N.C. State’s 12-steal performance filled with easy transition buckets.

“I told the players before we came over here that (N.C. State) will be so up for this game, because unless they win the ACC Tournament, they’re not going to make the NCAA probably because of their record,” said Hatchell, whose team is competing for a first-round bye in next week’s tournament.

“If they play like they did tonight they could play for the ACC Championship. They might win it if they play like they did tonight with only four turnovers.”

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