Turnovers trouble Wake Forest in UNC women's basketball game

Is there such a thing as a ‘normal’ number of turnovers?

Perhaps it’s five. For other teams, it could be higher — say 10, or even more.

Or maybe there’s no such answer. Maybe turnovers, no matter the quantity, are just a part of basketball, as fluid a matter as scoring droughts or shooting streaks.

Some teams average more than others, but in the end, a turnover is the same for every squad: an immeasurable measure of ineptitude. After its 83-45 throttling of Wake Forest on Thursday night — a game in which the Demon Deacons gave the ball away 34 times — the No. 17 North Carolina women’s basketball team couldn’t understand that message any more clearly.

“When you throw so many different things out there — we threw traps on screens, we threw some switches, we throw a lot of different things out there,” Coach Sylvia Hatchell said.

Yes, Wake Forest came into the game averaging 20.5 turnovers per game — 332nd in the nation — but UNC took advantage of that. The Tar Heels forced giveaways early and often, making life as difficult as possible for each of the players in black.

So it was an errant bounce pass broken up on its way to a teammate. It was a rushed drive to the basket, only to be met by a forest of forearms, lanky bodies rooted to the court. It was even a five-second violation, when nobody for Wake Forest wanted the ball enough to get open.

Any way possible, UNC made life for its opponents a nightmare on offense. With 6:48 to go in the first half, nearly 15 minutes of play eclipsed, Wake Forest had as many turnovers as it did points: 15.

“Turnovers, they come in bunches, and once they start coming, it’s hard to stop them,” said Wake Forest coach Jen Hoover.

By halftime, Wake Forest already had 17 turnovers. The first possession of the second half, it was clear that nothing had changed.

Wake Forest dribbled the ball deep into the UNC paint, but a sloppy dribble — sweaty palms, a slight deflection, whatever it was — gave the ball over to UNC. The Tar Heels wouldn’t score on that possession, but over the long haul they did, turning those 34 giveaways into 40 points of their own.

Context is important to remember in situations such as these. With a 20-point lead at the half, the Tar Heels were in every position to be aggressive on defense, forcing steals off of reach-ins and blocks off of hurried offensive possessions.

But North Carolina did all of these things and more. It forced the turnovers, it played physical defense and it converted those giveaways into points of its own.

“We’re a fast break team, so steals are great for us because I feel like we finish well, and that’s what Carolina basketball is about: getting steals and getting fast break points,” said junior guard N’Dea Bryant.

“It’s just normal, really — it’s what we’re here to do.”

sports@dailytarheel.com