Modified Sun, Oct 11, 2009 03:37 AM
Observations from the game
North Carolina Top Stories
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Heels' youth served
North Carolina coach Roy Williams said he was playing for the present in the NIT. But in the first half of the fourth-seeded Tar Heels' 76-74 victory over top-seeded Mississippi State on Saturday, his team gave him some hope for the future, too. -
Gonzaga takes wild 82-76 win over UNC women
Scoreless for 31 minutes, Gonzaga's Tiffany Shives had 14 of her 16 points in a crucial five-minute stretch of the second half and the seventh-seeded Bulldogs held off No. 10 seed North Carolina 82-76 on Saturday night in the first-round of the NCAA women's tournament. -
Drew II's shot is true
In retrospect, perhaps it's a good thing North Carolina's Larry Drew II didn't realize that the 6-foot-9 guy standing in the way was the NCAA's all-time leading shot-blocker. -
Blazers', Heels' worlds collide
Three hours before UAB met N.C. State in the NIT on Saturday, some Blazers players gathered around the TV. The purpose: Root for North Carolina to defeat Mississippi State. -
Heels show power in softball
Brittany McKinney and Kelli Wheeler hit home runs in the fifth inning to lift North Carolina to a 5-1 softball victory at UNC Greensboro on Friday. -
Heels on cold streak
North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell likes to say, "Good shooting kills a multitude of sins." -
UNC rallies for win
Spurred by a raucous crowd, the fourth-seeded Tar Heels beat No. 5 seed William & Mary 80-72 to advance to the second round of the NIT. They will play at top-seeded Mississippi State on Saturday at noon. -
Heels turn back clock in Carmichael
Maybe it was comeback Tuesday all over the sports spectrum. -
Ackley sent to Double-A
The Seattle Mariners have sent second overall draft choice Dustin Ackley to the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, where the impressive 22-year-old will likely begin his first full professional season. -
3 Triangle teams corral NCAA berths
For the first time in two years, no Triangle ACC women's basketball team was left out of the NCAA tournament.
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Observations
UNC's depleted offensive line added a couple of more bodies Saturday. Left guard Jonathan Cooper, who had played in only one series since injuring his ankle against The Citadel in the season-opener, was back in the starting lineup. Then in the second half, former defensive lineman Tavares Brown made his debut at center. Cam Holland -- who had been starting since Lowell Dyer was injured in UNC's second game -- was hurt. Holland later returned.
• It's probably about time to find a scholarship for junior walk-on Trase Jones, who has been holding for field goals and extra points and returned some punts last season. He handled UNC's first two kickoffs Saturday. What's next?
• Freshman tailback/quarterback A.J. Blue was injured in the fourth quarter; the early diagnosis was a sprained left knee.
• UNC defensive end Robert Quinn had been making quite a name for himself -- with a team-leading six sacks, two forced fumbles and 91/2 tackles for loss entering the game. But Eagles coach Chris Hatcher didn't seem to know who Quinn was.
"We had a hard time getting off the jam, and we had to make an adjustment on 42 [Quinn] out there," Hatcher said. "I don't even know his name because he runs too fast to see the name on the back of his jersey. Forty-two had a big hit on [quarterback Lee] Chapple, and we made an adjustment in our protection."
On the play, Quinn notched his seventh sack and third forced fumble.
Robbi Pickeral
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