North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
North Carolina
Pack Falls To Top Ranked UNC
2/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 2, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Ivory Latta had 11 of her 18 points in the second half, teammates Erlana Larkins and Camille Little each added 17 points and North Carolina celebrated its first game ever at No. 1 by holding off 24th-ranked North Carolina State 75-58 Thursday night.
Little's total tied a season high for the Tar Heels (21-0, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who remained the only unbeaten women's or men's team in Division I and extended the longest home winning streak in the nation to 30 games.
They moved to the top of The Associated Press women's basketball poll following a come-from-behind victory over No. 2 Duke earlier in the week.
This one was surprisingly difficult. About 2 1/2 weeks ago, North Carolina won easily in Raleigh to give coach Sylvia Hatchell her 700th career victory.
But the rematch was tight until the final minutes, even though the Wolfpack (13-8, 3-5) led only once, midway through the first half. There were four ties, the final one coming at 46 with about 13 minutes remaining on two free throws from Ashley Key.
Little had a three-point play on the other end to give put the Tar Heels ahead for good, and Larkins and Christina Dewitt added layups to increase the margin to seven. The Wolfpack scored on consecutive possessions to cut it to 53-50, but that was as close they would get.
Larkins worked inside for a basket as she was fouled, and La'Tangela Atkinson used a nifty pass from Latta to score, too, and North Carolina led 68-56 before pulling away.
Sasha Reeves had a career high with 12 points and 10 rebounds for N.C. State, and Key and Khadijah Whittington also scored 12 points. The Wolfpack were without leading scorer Tiffany Stansbury, who was suspended for unspecified disciplinary reasons. They also finished 0-for-14 on 3-pointers.
Yet even without Stansbury, they never gave in to the Tar Heels. It was 30-30 late in the first half before North Carolina scored the final nine points, all on 3-pointers. Atkinson had her only one of the game, and freshman Rashanda McCants added her only two.
N.C. State rallied again. With the margin eight soon after halftime, four different players scored for the Wolfpack to force that final tie.
