Georgia-North Carolina Preview

3/24/2008 12:53 PM

By MIKE VOTTA
STATS Senior Writer

North Carolina breezed through the first round of the NCAA tournament, but things are about to get a lot more difficult.

The top-seeded Tar Heels will be trying for their first ever win against No. 8 seed Georgia on Tuesday when the teams meet in the second round of the New Orleans Regional in Norfolk, Va.

North Carolina (31-2) routed 16th-seeded Bucknell 85-50 on Sunday for its 14th straight win. The Tar Heels opened up leads of 16-0 and 20-2 before coasting to the victory.

But despite the big win, the Tar Heels committed 20 turnovers and looked a little sloppy after their early run.

"It's good to get the first win and jell together and get our chemistry right for our next game," said Rashanda McCants, who had 15 points. "We definitely have to work on our intensity level."

LaToya Pringle added 19 points and Erlana Larkins also had 15 for North Carolina, which shouldn't have much trouble picking up its intensity in the second round. The Tar Heels have dropped each of their previous five meetings with Georgia (23-9), including two NCAA tournament games.

The teams are meeting for the first time since Georgia's 83-57 victory in the 2000 NCAAs.

"We have to not look at the scoreboard," Larkins said when asked how the team could pick up its intensity. "Coach (Sylvia) Hatchell tells us all the time, it's not about the score, that you just keep going out there and play hard. You just focus on the game and not look at the score."

Pringle had five blocks in just 21 minutes against the Bison and finished with 331 for her career, breaking Dawn Royster's school record of 329 from 1983-87.

"I am excited. It hasn't been broken in like 20-something years," she said. "Looking at myself, I didn't think I could do it. I'm excited; I worked hard to get it, and now I have to celebrate."

The Tar Heels are a No. 1 seed for the fourth straight year and have been knocked out in the national semifinals in each of the last two. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are trying for their sixth straight trip to the regional semifinals.

Georgia beat ninth-seeded Iowa 67-61 in the first round Sunday. Angel Robinson had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs, who had dropped two of three heading into the tournament.

"I'm really proud and pleased with the way that our kids played," coach Andy Landers said. "They played hard, they stayed the course."

Tasha Humphrey, a four-time all-SEC selection, had 12 points and 11 rebounds and hit a go-ahead jumper with 58 seconds left. Humphrey leads the Bulldogs with 16.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game but has averaged just 10.6 points over her last five games.

Ashley Houts, meanwhile, went 9-of-9 from the free throw line and hit eight free throws in the final 41 seconds Sunday. Houts leads the Bulldogs with 36.7 minutes per game and played all 40 against the Hawkeyes.