Women’s team toppled by top-ranked Tarheels

Lately, it seems as if neither Jacket basketball team has had an easy time winning games. With the men on their seven-game losing streak, it was up to the women’s team to try and conserve some of the pride. Unfortunately the Lady Jackets dropped a pair of home games.

Last Thursday, the Jackets lost to Florida State in a close game, 59-54. While the Jackets have been successful with rebounding and defense this season, the Seminoles showed very similar numbers in those categories, perhaps contributing to low score in the game. The difference in the game, though, came from behind the arc. Florida State made 4-10 from behind three-point range, while the Jackets were just 1-10 from behind the arc.

The Seminoles built an early lead in the game. Six minutes into the game, Florida State led by eight following a Ganiyat Adeduntan three-point shot. But excellent defense and rebounding led the comeback for the Jackets. There was a long drought for about three and a half minutes around the 13-minute mark where neither team scored.

After two offensive rebounds by sophomore Janie Mitchell followed by a lay-up, the Jackets and Seminoles traded possessions. Stephanie Higgs made a lay-up and got fouled. She made the free throw to bring the Jackets within three points.

Both teams went on another short scoring drought. With five minutes left, Florida State took their lead back up to five with a basket by Holly Johnson. With the Jackets’ great defense, they were able to get the ball back as Jill Ingram converted on a lay-up, followed two minutes later by Mitchell making a lay-up with 22 seconds left in the game to bring the score to a 20-20 halftime tie.

In the second half, the Jackets were able to slowly build the lead. Seven minutes into the first half, the Jackets held a nine-point lead.

Led by strong defense, Florida State whittled away Tech’s lead. The Seminoles went on an 11-3 run, which brought the Seminoles within one point with nine minutes left in the game.

With 7:25 left in the game and down by three points, Florida State’s Adeduntan drained a three-pointer to tie the game. With four minutes left, the Seminoles took the lead for good.

Mitchell led the Jackets with 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Chioma Nnamaka had 11 points, and Higgs had seven points but went just three for 16 from the floor. For Florida State, Alicia Gladden scored 14 and Holly Johnson scored 10 and pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Seminoles.

On Sunday Tech hosted the No. 1 team in the nation, undefeated North Carolina. This was the tenth time in Jacket history that they have played a No. 1 team. They have never won any of their past nine tries; make it ten as the Jackets lost by 19, 75-56.

North Carolina guard Ivory Latta seemed like she couldn’t miss a shot. The Tech defense guarded the opponents well, but Latta still drained three-point baskets as if there was no one in front of her. Latta went 11-14 including a very impressive six of seven behind the arc.

“She shoots like that all the time. She made good decisions and got good looks. It’s not unusual to tell you the truth,” Tarheel coach Sylvia Hatchell said.

Head Coach MaChelle Joseph also mentioned the role Latta played in the game. “There was only one other scorer for them in double figures. I thought she was the difference in the game,” Joseph said.

The Tarheels’ shooting was just too much for the Tech defense to stop. The Jackets found themselves down by eight just four minutes into the game after Latta hit her first three-point basket.

The score was 20-19 in favor of the Tarheels when Ivory Latta hit a three followed by two free throws to put them up by six. For the Jackets Nnamaka hit her only three of the game to cut the lead in half. After trading baskets, North Carolina headed into the locker room with a seven-point lead.

Nnamaka opened up the second half with a field goal, something the Jackets wouldn’t see again until the 12 minute mark; during this drought, the Tarheels increased their lead to 18. Tech never trailed by fewer than 12 points for the rest of the game.

The Tarheels made 76 percent of their field goals in the second half, while the Jackets shot 40 percent for the game. UNC also edged Tech in rebounds 32-23.

“We did a really good job in the first half in getting the ball under the post. We didn’t do that well in the second half,” Joseph said.

“We played really hard. They tried to underestimate us a little bit,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t capitalize on the opportunities.”