When Buckeyes go cold, Heels get hot

17-0 second-half run takes UNC to win

COLUMBUS, OHIO -- In a game of lengthy runs, No. 2 North Carolina saved the best spurt for last.

Jessica Breland scored 29 points, and the Tar Heels held No. 18 Ohio State without a point for more than nine minutes of the second half to take a 72-63 women's basketball victory Wednesday night in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

"In the second half, we showed them a zone, then matched up, and then we went back to a zone around the 8-minute timeout," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "That messed them up some."

Breland, averaging 13.5 points a game, had 21 in the opening half as the Tar Heels (9-0) opened a 41-37 lead. Cetera DeGraffenreid added 14 points and six assists, and Rashanda McCants had 10 points for North Carolina, which is 21-9 against the Big Ten and 3-3 against the Buckeyes.

Breland knew she was going to have a big game after her first long-distance shot of the night.

"It was that first 3-pointer," she said. "After I hit that, I felt I could hit any shot on the court."

Jantel Lavender had 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Buckeyes (6-2), who led 52-49 with 11:56 left before missing their next 12 shots and making six turnovers over a span of 9 minutes, 20 seconds. Star Allen added 12 points, Ashlee Trebilcock had 10 points and Samantha Prahalis had 13 assists.

The Tar Heels sealed the outcome with a 17-0 second-half run.

"When they went into that zone, we went into a few-minute lapse," Prahalis said. "It only takes 2 minutes and the game can be flipped."

Ahead 41-37 at halftime, UNC quickly went up 47-37, but just as suddenly, the game swung the other way. UNC went almost six minutes without a point as the Buckeyes ran off 13 -- eight by Lavender.

The teams traded baskets until the Tar Heels regained the upper hand as Ohio State went cold. The Buckeyes led 52-49 on Lavender's basket with 11:56 left but then didn't score until Trebilcock hit two free throws with 2:36 left.

"They went zone and we didn't execute the way we needed to when that happens. It's that simple," Ohio State coach Jim Foster said.

Ohio State was 71-3 at home since the start of the 2004-05 season. The game was the first between the teams since North Carolina won 75-67 on Dec. 18, 1980.

NO. 2 NORTH CAROLINA 72, NO. 18 OHIO STATE 63

North Carolina (9-0): McFarland 4-5 0-0 8, Breland 11-15 5-6 29, DeGraffenreid 3-8 7-10 14, McCants 4-11 2-8 10, Lucas 1-6 0-0 2, White 1-4 0-0 3, Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Claytor 0-2 0-0 0, Shegog 2-3 0-0 4, M.Wood 1-1 0-0 2, Broomfield 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-57 14-24 72.

Ohio St. (6-2): Allen 5-9 2-2 12, Lavender 12-23 3-6 27, Trebilcock 4-10 0-1 10, Prahalis 3-13 0-0 7, Johnson 0-2 1-2 1, Jackson 1-2 0-0 3, Moeller 1-5 0-0 3, Little 0-0 0-0 0, Daniel 0-0 0-0 0, Schulze 0-3 0-0 0, Walker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-67 6-11 63.

Halftime--North Carolina 41-37. 3-point goals--North Carolina 4-11 (Breland 2-2, White 1-1, DeGraffenreid 1-2, Claytor 0-1, McCants 0-2, Lucas 0-3), Ohio St. 5-21 (Trebilcock 2-5, Jackson 1-1, Moeller 1-3, Prahalis 1-8, Johnson 0-2, Schulze 0-2). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--North Carolina 40 (McCants 9), Ohio St. 37 (Lavender 13). Assists--North Carolina 14 (DeGraffenreid 6), Ohio St. 20 (Prahalis 13). Total fouls--North Carolina 14, Ohio St. 20. A--5,045.