Blue Devils Take Round One

Sunday's game was intense; but that is to be expected when Duke and North Carolina play.  It was an up and down game that required an extra five minutes.  We watched from home because my daughter became ill on Saturday night.  Turned out to be because of some bad popcorn she ate at the movies with my mother.  Hated to miss the game.  There was a great crowd in Carmichael.  Unfortunately, the Tar Heels didn't prevail.  Final Duke 74, North Carolina 67 in Overtime. 

This isn't a game too many people with any interest in it missed and we weren't there; so this will be pretty short.  The kids and I gathered in the living room.  I have to say it was strange watching a home game on television; but even though we were sure my daughter didn't have a virus, she was still really tired and trying to refuel; so I know it was the best decision.  The kids were actually louder here in the house than at Carmichael.  I think my son hoped they could hear him from here.

This was the first of two games against Duke; but like NC State (the other ACC team we play two times) we were getting the first game at our place.  I knew this was going to be tough.  Duke has multiple players that are at least 6'3 inches tall including three time All-American Elizabeth Williams who (thankfully) is in her final year of eligibility.  The Tar Heels have 2 players 6'3 and above.  Only Stephanie Mavunga sees significant action.  Rebounding was going to be a challenge even though I hoped the Tar Heels would use their strength and quickness to crash the boards and get position after shots were put up.  Scoring inside was going to be a challenge although I hoped it wouldn't keep the Tar Heels from attacking the paint with their speed.  In the first half, things went great.  Duke had just a slight edge on the boards and North Carolina lead by 10 points.  In the 2nd half, things didn't go as well.

When dealing with Duke I generally take on the mentality of keeping everyone except Elizabeth Williams in check because it has worked before.  She had 28 points in a game the Tar Heels won last season.  She had 33 points in this game.  The difference or x-factor if you will in this fan's opinion was Kalia Johnson.  While Azura Stevens, Elizabeth Williams and Rebecca Greenwell are consistent double figure scorers, I couldn't remember the last game this season in which Johnson scored in double figures.  She is more of a facilitator.  Well, she he had 12 points on Sunday.  Azura Stevens who generally is good for 16-20 points or even more battled foul trouble trying to keep Stephanie out of the paint.  She finished with 8 points.

So what went wrong?

I'm slightly uneasy about how the team's shooting percentage is trending the last few games.  With the exception of the Clemson game, it's been below 40% in the last four contests.  Of our four losses; other than the Notre Dame loss where we shot 37%; the team finished around 30%.  That might be okay in some situations; but I believe in the ACC most nights it's going to be important to shoot a better percentage.  In a game against a team with Duke's size, even more so.  In the Tar Heels losses other than Notre Dame where we scored 79 points, we scored 55 (Oregon State), 59 (Pittsburgh) and 67 (Duke) points. 

In the end we couldn't make enough shots to win this one and it wasn't that we didn't get some good ones.  While there were some that were a bit quick for my taste, for the most part, the team moved the ball well most of the night and got open shots.  They just didn't go down.  We had 9 fewer turnovers than Duke; but, we also had 14 fewer rebounds.  Both of these were expected.  It was speed verses size.  This time, size won. 

The Tar Heels had a chance to win the game with 8 seconds to go because after being down 4 points, they got consecutive defensive stops and Stephanie Mavunga calmly sank two free throws to tie the game.  Then speed (UNC) successfully challenged size (Duke) on Duke's final possession of regulation.  Coleman blanketed Johnson everywhere she went which left Elizabeth Williams standing with the ball on the perimeter.  It was brilliant.  North Carolina got another stop.  Then, speed (Latifah Coleman) challenged size (Elizabeth Williams) one more time in the closing seconds of regulation.  Coleman drove the length of the court to attempt the game winner.  Size won.  Similar to (at the time) UNC freshman Waltea Rolle's block on (then) Duke Freshman Chelsea Gray in 2011 that sealed a victory for North Carolina, Elizabeth Williams blocked Coleman's shot and the game went to overtime where Duke won.  I was hoping for size on size on that play.  I thought we were going to see a repeat of the Oklahoma State game where Latifah drove towards the defense and passed the ball to Stephanie for a lay-up.  I think this time she went a little too far under the basket and once she got to a certain point, that option was no longer there. 

Most everyone will remember Latifah's game against Duke for that moment.  I will remember we wouldn't have had that chance were it not for the 13 points she poured in during the first half and the outstanding defense she played on Kalia Johnson on the play preceeding it.  I hope she carries that over to the rest of the season.

 

Latifah Coleman: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Stephanie Mavunga: 15 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assist, 3 blocks 4 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Considering Duke had six post players they just rotated in and out, this is a tremendous effort.  And she made no excuses when it came to this game when asked about how Xylina McDaniel might have made things easier for her although it kind of goes without saying really.  I was really impressed with how she picked her battles in this one, careful to remain on the floor.  She lead the team in minutes.

 

 

N'Dea Bryant: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 block, 1 assists, 1 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

I remember the shot shown in this photo.  It was when North Carolina badly needed a basket.  I was proud of N'Dea in this game.  She had a tall task (literally) helping to play defense inside and for the most part she held her own.  I think her help in there was a big reason Stephanie was able to play as many minutes as she did.

 

 

Danielle Butts: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

You have to love this young woman.  She's mentally in fifth gear when she's out there.  Six inches shorter than most everyone she went up against but there wasn't one of the 19 minutes she was out there that she wasn't contributing somehow.  Only thing was in a game like this it takes a lot of energy so she was a bit limited.

 

 

Allisha Gray: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

I'm glad for the space between this game and the next one (against Boston College).  A more than admirable effort; but I'm not sure Allisha (Gray) is 100% on that wrapped leg or the apparatus is just bothersome as the game goes on.  It might have affected her shot a bit.  She worked hard to get open and was successful at that; but some were short and some too strong.  It was like she was just a little off and I could see it was frustrating, especially after working her way to a good spot, reading the defense, in some cases getting a good screen and getting the ball where she liked it. 

 

Gray wasn't alone in her struggles.  While Duke got more than usual out of Kalia Johnson, the Tar Heels were missing points from some normally dependable sources.  Jessica Washington, Jamie Cherry and Brittany Rountree were a combined 1 of 16 from the floor.  And again, these weren't ill-advised shots, or shots out of the flow of the offense.  Sure there were times I wanted us to attack instead of taking a three-point shot; but these also weren't shots I hadn't seen these ladies make over and over again.  And some of them were taken as the shot clock was nearing zero.  Brittany (Rountree) did contribute 3 rebounds, 2 assists and some really good perimeter defense.  Jessica (Washington) had 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.  Jamie Cherry had 2 points, 1 assist and 1 steal in 9 minutes.  A big part of the game plan I believe was to challenge the Duke post players to come out and defend the perimeter; but, because for a significant amount of time in the 2nd half, those shots weren't falling from out there, the plan's execution stalled.

 

On a somewhat outside note, it was good to see Xylina finally off the crutches and able to sit on the bench with the rest of the team.  Being on crutches looks exhausting to me.  I'm also hoping that means she will be able to fly with the team when they travel to Syracuse, Miami and Louisville in the coming weeks.  The last time they had to take a plane (Pittsburgh) she stayed behind.  They need her in game counsel.  She was also sporting the puff ball hairstyle my daughter loves; even though she's been too shy to tell her so when given the opportunity.

 

So forward we go.  February may be busier than January.  It has a mix of teams numerically at the top and bottom of the league; but as we've seen in the ACC, rankings matter very little when the ball goes in the air.  Next up is a home game against Boston College on February 1st.  After the big upset win over Duke, the Eagles lost a tight game at Pittsburgh. 

 

Until then and as always,

 

Go Heels!



 

 





 

Tar Heels Beat the Wolfpack

Sometimes, things look a little nuts.  Tonight for a while I wondered if someone had put me in an episode of the Twilight Zone.  It started out well enough.  Well, technically this was before it started.

 

The team looked ready and so were the kids.  My daughter had taken her usual position.

 

 

This was not your usual game though.  This was the kind of game where players have to rely on everything they learned outside of shooting the ball to grind out a win.  Here we had two teams, both averaging over 70 points per game.  UNC averages close to 80.  For a while I wondered if the teams would get to half those totals.  I didn't get a photo; but with 11:27 left in the first half, the score was 7 to 5 in favor of NC State.  This was one of those games where locking down defensively and crashing the boards was going to win.  North Carolina dominated the boards 51 to 35, limiting NCSU to three, yes, three offensive rebounds.  UNC had 20 offensive rebounds and when you shoot 30% from the floor, dominating the boards and playing good defense is key to having any chance at victory.  North Carolina 67, North Carolina State 63.

This was very different from the first matchup with NC State; but it was more like what I'm used to.  My daughter being only 11; has not seen us lose to NC State much at all.  It hasn't happened since my 5 year-old son was an infant.  We arrived early and I had a feeling this was going to be a battle.  It took a while to move from the starting point.  State managed a double digit lead (20 to 7) before North Carolina went on a run.  From there to half-time, the Tar Heels outscored the Pack 14 to 6 to pull within five points at the break.  My throat was already getting scratchy.  My daughter had shed her UNC hoodie.

Where's My Run?

When they came out for the second half; I was glad for the basket switch.  I told myself something must be wrong with the one we had in the first period.  I was really looking for one of those typical North Carolina runs at the beginning of the half.  Didn't happen.  After a few minutes we were down 10, 35 to 25.  Reynolds was rocking.  I had a guy behind me heckling me every time State scored.  I'll never act up.  I'm a mother.  And this is far from my first road game at NC State.

But then...

Bring on the Press

UNC went to a pressure defense.  NC State inbounded the ball and Latifah (Coleman) and Danielle (Butts) trapped Len 'Nique (Brown-Hoskins) in the backcourt.  Steal and a layup Latifah Coleman.  Then on the next play, a full court press.  NC State inbounded the ball and it went straight to Stephanie (Mavunga) who jumped the passing lane.  Steal and a layup.  Time out NC State.  The Tar Heels actually stole the ball again; but weren't able to score on the third one.  But the entire bench was on fire by this point.  Everyone's body language was totally different.  I could tell during the timeout.

The game went back and forth for a while.  I continued to torture my throat.  My daughter sweated through her t-shirt.  She said that never even happens in PE.  We took the lead 39 to 38 when Jessica (Washington) and Latifah (Coleman) both had long balls find the net.  Eventually State went back in front by six points.  Coach wisely called a timeout to stop the momentum and UNC caught up again.  This was beginning to remind me of the game at State two seasons ago, a four point UNC victory.  In the end, it was familiar.  In that game and in this one, Brittany Rountree stepped forward, stood boldly in the moment and brought the victory home at the free throw line.  She made 8 free-throws in the final minute, after her only points in the game had come on a trip to the free throw line earlier in the game where she made one of two.  The term the players use is "clutch".  It fits.

 

Brittany Rountree at the line (photo from www.goheels.com)

So how did we get to 67 points? 

 

N'Dea Bryant: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

She was out there for just 13 minutes; but those two shots she hit came at a time when it seemed UNC couldn't hit the ocean with a boulder.  She was a real bright spot in those minutes.

 

 



Jamie Cherry: 3 points 1 rebound, 1 assist (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Same with Jamie.  That shot she hit was a big one.  When it appeared there was a lid on the basket, she came off a screen and swished a shot.

 

 

Latifah Coleman: 8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

A tough night shooting (like everyone else that touched the floor) but it was defense that carried this team tonight.  She was the top of the defense and that steal when we were down 10 in the second half changed the course of the game. 

 

 

Allisha Gray: 10 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

That lid on the basket was mean, even to our most efficient scorers.  Allisha clawed her way to these numbers.  One thing about her, she isn't going to let a struggle to score stop her from contributing. 

 

 

Stephanie Mavunga: 11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Never enough room to put it all on one line.  It wasn't nearly as easy this time around.  Once it became clear we had some trouble shooting the ball, they packed in on Stephanie.  I guess they didn't want her having a similar outing as the first time (23 points, 12 rebounds).  I think too it was hard to get a feel for how the folks in stripes were calling this one.  It seemed they weren't going to allow much to go on at all.  There were 44 fouls called in this one.  I never like the number of fouls to exceed the number of minutes in the game.  Early one there were more fouls than points.  It had to be frustrating.  It seemed her counterpart was having just as hard of a time.  Shuhmacher fouled out near the end.

 

 

Jessica Washington: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Jessical hit a couple of shots; but again it was the timing of her scoring.  Everyone stuggled; so every basket was crucial. 

 

 

Danielle Butts: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

The one player to shoot over 50%, Danielle scored on a variety of moves.  She was aggressive; and powerful.  That fade away jumper was a thing of beauty.

 

 

Brittany Rountree: 9 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Finally the woman of the hour.  All nine points were earned at the charity stripe.  She was the main part of an 81% success rate at the stripe for the team.  Eight of them were in the final 30 seconds of the game to seal the victory for UNC.  God bless her.  She's the designated person for this.  I know she got beat up with the Pack players trying to foul or take the ball away. 

 

 

Moving Forward

 

It's always good to get a win at Reynolds.  Road wins in the ACC are to be treasured no matter which team it is.  I wasn't bothered by the margin.  The shooting percentages, yes; but not the margin.  But I was glad to see the Tar Heels battle past it and bother NC State enough that they struggled as well.

 

It answered a question for me I never really wanted answered: "What will they do if they struggle to shoot 35% again?  Still I hope it never happens again.  Duke comes to Carmichael on Sunday with a lot of height and that's putting it mildly.  They'll pack the paint; so good shooting will be important.  Ask Boston College, who sunk 13 three pointers tonight in a victory over the #15 Blue Devils.  So hopefully we're ready because Duke will not be happy.  Until then and always...

 

Go Heels!

 



















Tar Heels Tame the Tigers

Today the Tar Heels were on the road to play the Clemson Tigers.  With the exception of Nikki Dixon who is in her final year, they are a really young team.  North Carolina controlled this game.  They shot well, defended well and took care of the ball.  The lead was in double digits about 5 or 6 minutes in.  By halftime it was over 20.

The second half saw much more use of the bench players and some starters getting some much needed rest.  Still, the Tar Heels managed a 22 point victory.  Final, North Carolina 78, Clemson 56.

The Tigers play in Littlejohn Coliseum.  I hadn't been there in years; so really had little memory of it; but my phone's GPS didn't fail.  We parked right outside about an hour before tip-off.  This was plenty of time to get nice seats in the section behind our team's bench.  All the orange and purple was a little confusing to the short one; but it was all good when he saw his Tar Heels.



Prior to the National Anthem and player introductions a very entertaining video ran on the jumbo-tron.  Lightening struck the tiger statue outside Littlejohn and Death Valley, bringing it to life.  It then chased down a North Carolina truck, ripping the Tar Heel flag flying on it with its claws.  Then he and two others that joined him climbed on top of the North Carolina truck roaring in triumph.  My daughter had an interesting reaction...a full giggle. 

How the Tar Heels Tamed the Tigers

This was very much a team effort; but two players got a career high today.  Our two resident ankle breakers, Jessica Washington and Jamie Cherry.  Jessica scored a career high 20 points.  Jamie dished out a career high 7 assists.



Jessica Washington: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist (photo from www.goheels.com)

Watching Jessica today I almost wanted to bring those baskets home.  Swish here, swish there, everywhere a swish swish.  Three pointers, midrange jumpers, lay-ups you name it, she was hitting them today.  Throw in a couple of free throws and there you have it.  Coach said she played all three guard positions today.  Very productive 30 minutes for the sophomore.



Jamie Cherry: 12 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds (photo from www.goheels.com)

Still learning; but I saw some great things out of Jamie today.  Her court vision was great.  She managed the game really well.  She used the screens set for her to get off some nice shots and did not turn the ball over at all.

Stephanie Mavunga: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal (Associated press photo)

Stephanie played a great game.  Some fouls; but really a good game.  She used her size well and had a good shooting day despite being double teamed some of the day.  A lot of the game though we spent trying to figure out a fashion statement she was making with her uniform.  Long gone are the days when basketball uniform shorts were...well....short.  Stephanie made a little adjustment in hers today.  It seemed like a little blast from the past.  She took a little ribbing from Clemson's Pep band when she went to the free throw line.  They started singing "We wear short shorts" from that "Nair" hair removal cream commercial.  I'm sure she got a laugh out of it.





 Allisha Gray: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal (photo from www.goheels.com)

It seems I often find myself asking, "How?" when I look at Allisha's numbers.  She saw very limited action today.  She was able to rest most of the game.  How does one manage these numbers in 17 minutes on the court?  That's Allisha Gray.  She needs very little opportunity to make an impact.

Brittany Rountree: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

Tough shooting day for Brittany; but she contributed in every positive way in this game.  She also spent a bit of time guarding Clemson's best player, Nikki Dixon and that takes a lot of energy.  I love how she consistently has assists from the off guard position.





N'Dea Bryant: 7 points, 3 rebounds (photo from www.goheels.com)

So proud of how N'Dea is contributing.  She's stepping up and hitting shots consistently and crashing the boards.  I hope she continues to see time I love watching her play.  



A Little About Our Journey

Since this is a fan experience blog, I'll include a little about our journey.  This was a great trip.  I've long made road trips part of how I support the team; but with my son being so young, this is the first year since he joined our family that we've traveled over a couple of hours away for a game.  Clemson is about five and a half hours from home for us (with one stop to stretch); and not wanting to stretch myself or my son's patience too thin, we made this an overnight trip.  I knew from a drive down to Orlando in 2013 that I broke into two days he could handle that much.  We left home around 1:00 yesterday afternoon to drive down there.

Thankfully I'm two for two on children who love to travel.  With the long-legged one in the third row of the mini-van armed with her books and Kindle Fire and the short one strapped in the 2nd row with his backpack of toys and his tablet within reach, we cruised down I85 South to our home for the night, a Comfort Suites on Interstate Boulevard.  It's in Anderson, just outside Clemson, South Carolina.  No complaints at all.  Nice area (several restaurants, other hotels a gas station and even a movie theater were right on that street) and the rooms were clean and comfortable and we all had a good night's sleep.  It was also very easy to find.  First right turn off exit 19B of the highway.

We enjoyed the hotel's included breakfast before checking out.  One thing I love about Choice Hotels is that breakfast is generally included in the room rate.  There was a lot of time before the game; and our hotel was just 10 miles down Highway 76 west from Clemson; but right off 76 West was Veteran's Park in Pendleton, South Carolina.  We went there for some play time.  Major props to the keepers of this place.  It was beautiful and the children loved it.

The road trips aren't done.  This coming Thursday, the Tar Heels travel over to Reynolds Coliseum for round two against the Wolfpack of NC State.  This game kind of snuck up on me.  I'm so used to it being the Hoops for Hope game in February, the one dedicated to raising money for Breast Cancer research.  I didn't even purchase tickets for this game until a couple of days ago.  We've made multiple trips to this game over the years; but going to Clemson today was a first for my children.  On the drive I realized this was the tenth different location my daughter has been to in order to see the Tar Heels play.  It's the sixth for my son.  We marked that with a picture by the Tiger outside Littlejohn before heading back to the van.

North Carolina is now 16-3.  This was a great win today as we were able to see some players rest that would normally play a lot of minutes.  Our bench gave us 41 points.  And that's good because you need depth to do well in the ACC. NC State is likely gaining confidence winning three of the four games they've played since the loss to UNC on January 4th.  They are always tough at home; but UNC should be confident as well with shooting over 52% today while holding the Tigers to 30% and even though it was a loss, the effort the Heels put forth in the Notre Dame game would beat a lot of teams.  Hopefully we can keep on the trend the Tar Heel/Wolfpack matchup has been on lately.  Until then and as always...

Go Heels!









Intense Effort Comes Up Short

Well, my Tar Heels fought a good fight.  I was/am really proud of their effort against Notre Dame.  This wasn’t a game where you saw a lack of intensity.  This wasn’t a game with a lot of errors (11 turnovers for UNC).  It was a battle.  It was an intense battle in the war called ACC basketball.  And that fact wasn’t lost on anyone of age in attendance last night.  This was five minutes in. 

 

I’ve said of my child that she is probably the most competitive non-athlete I have ever met.  I thought she was going to chew through her (brand new) UNC hoodie.  My other one.  Well, he’s there to keep everything balanced.  He just loves any chance he gets to see the team, especially Stephanie.  He’s looking for her even when the guys are playing.  Only 5 and already star struck.

 

We were the underdog last night and that doesn’t happen often and since we are down a starter, I knew this was going to be a tough one.  It was up and down and neither team put the other away at any point until the horn sounded.  Still, final Notre Dame 89, North Carolina 79.

So, what happened.  I’ve watched a ton of basketball and I went into this one with a list of five things that needed to happen for my Tar Heels to upset Notre Dame.  There’s more; but these were my top five, just not in any particular order.

1. Must defend the three point line
2. Must avoid foul trouble, but be aggressive
3. Must be patient in the half court sets
4. Must have significant contribution from the bench
5. Must shoot well

So how did we do?  I mean yeah, we didn't win last night; but there is a ton of basketball to be played.  Notre Dame hit 5 three pointers in the game out of 15 attempts.  Some of the attempts came at the end of the shot clock after 28 seconds of admirable Tar Heels defense; so I’d say we did fine there.  Probably would have been better defensively if certain things hadn’t happened.   That goes to number two. 

Brittany Rountree I believe came into this one poised to have a career night.  Her shot is looking better and better and she has always been a great defender.  The folks (can’t call them friends for this entry) in the striped shirts had a different view.  She was limited to 17 minutes in last night’s game and the Tar Heels already down a starter could ill afford to have one of its top defenders play less than half of the game.  So number 2 on my list…that one didn’t quite work out.  Rountree hit every shot she took while she was on the floor.  I can’t help but wonder what she could have done in this game offensively and defensively; especially when Lindsey Allen went for a career high with 24 points speaking loudly in place of the quiet night from All-American and leading scorer, Jewell Loyd, who had 8.

As to patience in the half court sets, I think they did an admirable job there.  I saw very few quick shots go up and don’t remember much happening outside the flow of the offense.  And generally impatience in the half court will generate a bunch of turnovers and North Carolina only had 11 for the game (Notre Dame had 17).  So I’d give that one a check.  I’d also give the bench contribution a check.  N’Dea Bryant, Jessica Washington and Jamie Cherry gave us 27 points,  9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. 

Shooting wasn’t quite where it needed to be.  I estimated we needed to shoot around 45% and we were around 37 or 38% depending on the source of your box score.  I think it dropped a couple of percentage points in the last minute or so when there were a lot of quick shots in the attempt at one more rally; but a couple of players had tough nights in that area though they contributed in other ways. The Tar Heels hit 39% from three point range and that is a good number.  It was inside the arc where difficulties arose. 

 

Difficulties name was Brianna Turner.  She had 7 blocks.  Now she is a phenomenal player.  She also had 29 points and 18 rebounds.  Still, here’s where the folks in the striped shirts had me confused.  I won’t say much about this; even though this is a fan blog and some bias is expected.  I will say though I did hear from a friend who was at the game sitting near an official with 30 years of experience.  She said he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

 

So what I’ll say is this.  All I ask is consistency from those folks.  If they are consistent with the whistles I believe the players will adjust whichever way they need to.  If not well…you get confusion, frustration and anger.  In 25 years of watching this team, I’ve always admired how Coach stuck by and stuck up for her players.  Still, this is something I had never seen before.  But hey, she warned us all prior to the season she had more fire in her.  And I’m sure the team is all the better for her sticking up for them. (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

So that covers my five things.  I would be remiss though if I didn’t mention the effort from the students in last night’s game.  As an alumnus of the university I was happy for how they showed up and stayed vocal through the game.  I especially love the guy with the big hair in the front row.  He seems to show up no matter who else does (or doesn’t).  He is up the entire time doing whatever he can to support the team. 

 

It was a good crowd overall; but I hope for better next Sunday. (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

As I always do though, here’s the player breakdown.

Danielle Butts: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Challenged with playing taller than 5'10" night in and night out, I've seen Danielle develop and improve over every year she has been at UNC.  How she manages some of the shots she makes I don't know.  She's figured out how to combine an inside and an outside game to help the team.  Her athletic ability helps a lot; but I've seen over time how she's become more disciplined.  With the height Notre Dame had, this was essentially a mismatch game for her; but she contributed.

Stephanie Mavunga: 13 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 2 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Stephanie was pretty much double teamed the entire night.  It takes that much effort to defend her.  I had hoped we could get single coverage on her in this game though it wasn't one of the five things I listed.  Some other players hit some big shots; but Notre Dame still continue to double.  Stephanie got 4 assists out of the double team; since shooting was tough.  One of the people she loves to pass to out of the double though is Brittany Rountree.

 

Brittany Rountree: 8 points, 3 rebounds (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

I've already talked about how Brittany was limited in this one.  The 8 points was on two three pointers and a midrange jumper.   She was perfect from the floor and great on defense while she was in the game.

 

N'Dea Bryant: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

I sometimes call N'Dea my sleeping giant.  I can't call her that anymore.  I've remarked how she has one of the smoothest jumpers I've seen and she hit some big baskets in this game.  What I love is her confidence.  She's defending well, crashing the boards and showing more intensity.

 

N'Dea Bryant (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Latifah Coleman: 3 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

It was a tough night shooting for Latifah.  Not sure how the shoulder is feeling.  I know it's been bothering her all year; but she made good decisions with her passing and ball handling.  Not one turnover in the game to 6 assists.

 

Jamie Cherry: 10 points, 2 assists (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Many freshmen might be intimidated in a game like this; but we found out early on not much could do that with Jamie Cherry.  There wasn't one shot in this game that wasn't a big one and she hit some of those including a couple of three pointers, one of which came when UNC was mounting a comeback late. 

 



 

Jessica  Washington: 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Jessica hit some big shots as a part of the effort from our bench.  But oh my! Somebody needs to get an extra of one of those massage certificates they give away at these games and give it to Jessica after last night.  She's never been one to shy away from contact or risking her body on a play.  You can't let her size fool you.  There's a lot of strength packed in there.  I don't know how many loose balls she went after.  You certainly can't fault the effort.

 

Allisha Gray: 20 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 2 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)

 

As seen in this photo, Allisha was really too quick for whoever was guarding her on the perimeter.  Notre Dame really depended on Turner for clean-up when this kind of thing happened.  I remember at the end thinking "how did she manage 20 points?".  She was having a tough night from the field.  She was guarded heavily and had some type of calf issue.  But, she stayed aggressive.  Despite how certain plays went, despite "no calls" like this. 

 

(photo from www.goheels.com)

 

Oh, I said I wasn't going to mention that again.  Other than this play, she did get some trips to the line, where she was a perfect 10 for 10.  I'm not one to blame officials for a loss and anyone who knows me will tell you that.  A few shots bounce one way and not the other who knows.  We did have some opportunities we missed on both ends. 

 

Just saying I noticed those folks more on some nights than others.  Last night was one of those nights.  Even my daughter reacted and she hates when I yell at the refs.  I think for her it's 100% because she's protective of the team.  When you go to as many games as we do, it starts to feel like they're family.  On the walk back to the van she told me "I had to ask Jesus to help me keep my butt in the seat on some of those plays mom."

 

Moving Forward

 

So what's to take forward from this one?  Despite the outcome, I could see that the Tar Heels have arrived at a level of intensity they need to maintain through the rest of the season.  I mentioned intensity at the top of this post, and it's vital in a league like the ACC where any team can get you on any night.  In some games, you could see a lack there.  That wasn't the case here. 

 

Finally, in truth, though the polls don't show it, Notre Dame is likely the 2nd best team in the country based on how everyone is playing now.  Their faces as they left the court after the alma mater let me know the North Carolina players believe they were every bit capable of taking this one.  There were times in past seasons I worried for how a loss like this might shake their confidence.  I don't have that worry. I need to be right.  Another battle in this long war down in Clemson, South Carolina on Sunday.

 

As always,

Go Heels

 

Note: I'm pulling out my Nikon 820 more at games now.  I'm still learning its capabilities.  Any photo not noted from another source, I snapped with my own device.