North Carolina State University Athletics
T25-NCarolina-NC State
1/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -Erlana Larkins had 22 points and eight rebounds to help third-ranked North Carolina defeat North Carolina State 79-70 on Sunday.
LaToya Pringle added 16 points and a pair of key second-half baskets for the Tar Heels (16-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who led almost the entire way but didn't put the game away until the final seconds.
Shayla Fields had 17 points to lead the Wolfpack (12-5, 0-2).
N.C. State couldn't repeat its 72-65 upset of the then-No. 2 and Final Four-bound Tar Heels here last February, which came on an emotional night in which the school dedicated ``Kay Yow Court'' to honor its Hall of Fame coach.
North Carolina clamped down early on Khadijah Whittington - the ACC's leader in scoring and rebounding - to take a 36-30 halftime lead. That lead ultimately held up, reaching as much as 11 points midway through the second half, though the Wolfpack hung in and never let the Tar Heels put together a big run with their fast-paced attack.
Ultimately, the Tar Heels helped themselves by scoring 31 second-chance points on 28 offensive rebounds. That offset a 40-percent shooting day, which included 1-for-13 from behind the 3-point arc.
Whittington, averaging 18.6 points and 11.9 rebounds, managed only four points in the first half against the Tar Heels' tough front line of Larkins, Pringle and reserves Jessica Breland and Iman McFarland.
She had a better second half, finishing with 15 points and nine boards before fouling out with 3:19 left and N.C. State trailing 69-61.
Ultimately, Larkins and Pringle came up with several key baskets to hold off the Wolfpack. First, after N.C. State had pulled within three, the 6-foot-3 Pringle knocked down a turnaround shot in the lane followed by an inside score off a feed from Breland to make it 66-58 with 6:19 left.
Then, after Sharnise Beal hit a 3-pointer to close the gap to four after Whittington had fouled out, Larkins scored on an up-and-under move against Gloria Brown to make it 74-68 with 1:39 left. N.C. State got no closer than five in the final seconds.
