No. 4 North Carolina 90, Miami 57

1/9/2006 10:35 PM

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Ivory Latta has total confidence in her shot.

Latta scored a game-high 21 points, including four three-pointers in the first 6:58 of the game, as North Carolina beat Miami 90-57 on Monday night. Latta's early scoring spree enabled the Tar Heels to open a 22-6 lead and were never threatened in the second Atlantic Coast Conference game of the season for both teams.

``The coaches were getting on me because I was passing the ball too much,'' Latta said. ``(The Hurricanes) were playing a zone, and I was confident I would make my shots.''

Reserve Alex Miller replaced Latta after the Tar Heels' quick spurt and connected on three three-pointers to help North Carolina (15-0, 2-0) increase its advantage to 35-11 with 9:06 remaining in the first half. Miller finished with 12 points.

``I'm not crazy about us taking so many threes, but when you are open and keep making them, you accept it,'' North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell said. ``Any time you get an ACC win on the road, that's big.''

North Carolina made 10 three-pointers in the first half and led 50-23. The Tar Heels finished with 13, one short of the school record set against Navy in 1991.

``That was a killer, they put us on our heels and made it difficult for us,'' Miami coach Katie Meier said of the Tar Heels' quick start.

Erlana Larkins, of neighboring Riviera Beach, was the third Tar Heels player to finish in double figures. Larkins, who had dozens of family and friends in the stands, scored 10 points.

Melissa Knight led Miami (11-3, 1-1) with 14 points.

Tamara James, the ACC's leading scorer at 21 points per game, was held scoreless until her short jumper 53 seconds into the second half. She finished with 11 points.

``We changed defenses a lot and tried to keep people off balance,'' Hatchell said.

The victory was North Carolina's ninth by a margin of 30 points or better. The Tar Heels also have four victories surpassing 50-point margins.

``This team has a lot of potential and they are receptive to what we are teaching,'' said Hatchell, who now has 699 victories in her 31-year coaching career.