Mountaineers can't keep up with fast-paced Tar Heels

After feeling the effects of exams week on campus, it was the North Carolina women’s basketball team that left the final mark on the court.

Despite a slow start offensively, the Tar Heels applied the pressure and outpaced Appalachian State in their 84-52 victory on Sunday, the team’s first game at Carmichael Arena in 25 days.

“I thought we were very sluggish at times, but it was good to get back out there and play,” Coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “We’re just trying to get back in the swing of things now that exams are over with.”

Sophomore forward Stephanie Mavunga tested the Mountaineers’ interior defense, totaling a game-high 19 points on 70 percent shooting.

But her contributions on the boards and on defense — finishing with 9 rebounds and 3 blocks — were most critical for UNC’s aggressive attack.

“We were trying to put some pressure on them and get turnovers,” Hatchell said. “Get some rebounds and get some good outlets and get up and down the floor. We love to get out and run.”

Yet following a 10-day layoff, the team’s greatest strength proved to be their biggest challenge early on.

“The first few minutes was a little (rusty) because it was our first time really running up and down the court because of exams,” said senior guard Latifah Coleman, who finished tied for third on the team in scoring with 9 points and 5 rebounds. “We just had to calm down and get our focus back.”

And once the Tar Heels regained their focus, there was no stopping them.

North Carolina’s pressure forced Appalachian State into committing 30 turnovers and the Tar Heels came up with a season-high 17 steals as they taught the Mountaineers a lesson in ball control and pace.“We want to be up-tempo and Carolina is up-tempo, and you try to match that and run with them and we just ran out of gas,” Appalachian State Coach Angel Elderkin said. “We were just really, really worn down by Carolina’s pressure.”

UNC converted their dominant defense into instant offense — finishing with 30 points off turnovers and 23 fast break points — while Appalachian State struggled to get the ball past half-court.

“It becomes almost like a panic,” said Elderkin, whose Mountaineers finished with zero points in transition. “You see us put our head down and try to drive and throw some bad things.”

Despite the Mountaineers’ best efforts, no amount of studying could prepare them for the test of the Tar Heels’ tempo.

“The pressure that North Carolina brings is something that is really tough to simulate in practice,” Elderkin said. “You show the pressure, but if you don’t have the bodies to simulate it, it’s really difficult.”

“It just isn’t easy to run your stuff against Carolina.”