Monday, November 27, 2000

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - With four players scoring in double figures, North Carolina defeated visiting East Tennessee State, 84-63, on Monday (Nov. 27) in women's basketball at Carmichael Auditorium to improve to 3-2 on the season. With the loss, ETSU fell to 0-4.

Senior forward LaQuanda Barksdale led UNC with 19 points and 16 rebounds, her second double-double in this season*s five games. Senior guard Juana Brown scored 17 points and sophomore guard Coretta Brown added 15, along with seven rebounds and six assists. Sophomore forward Jennifer Thomas came off the bench to score 15 points and grab five rebounds in 13 minutes of play. Freshman center Candace Sutton had eight points, seven rebounds and a career-best five blocks.

Junior guard Erin Thurman led the Lady Bucs with 16 points, including four three-pointers. Three players'sophomore forwards Misty Copas and Samantha Copeland, and freshman forward Lauren Trantham*had six rebounds each.

The teams traded leads through most of the first half before Barksdale*s three with 2:42 remaining before halftime put UNC up 34-32. Carolina never trailed after that, although ETSU closed the gap to two, 40-38, less than two minutes into the second half. After that, the Tar Heels went on a 16-0 run to jump back out to a comfortable lead that they wouldn*t give up.

"Their size was definitely a factor, and their athletic ability*that wears you down," ETSU coach Karen Kemp said. "We don't have a whole lot of experience on our bench. Team like this, down the stretch they have experience on the floor and that makes a difference."

UNC shot a season-low 41.6 percent (32-77) from the floor, including 27.8 (5-18) from three-point range. The Tar Heels won the rebounding battle, 58-44.

Next up for UNC is a meeting with the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish on Sunday, Dec. 3., at the Honda Elite 4 Holiday Classic in Orlando, Fla. The game is at 1:30 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN2.

East Tennessee State returns to action on Wednesday, Nov. 29, with a 6 p.m. game at Radford.