Two of the nation's best point guards battled Sunday night to show who plays for the country's best team.
Even though Duke and Lindsey Harding controlled the game for 30 minutes, North Carolina's Ivory Latta made the plays when it counted and helped keep her team undefeated with its 74-70 victory.
"They played a great second half," Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors said of the Tar Heels. "I thought they were the aggressors... particularly in the second half. They certainly deserve the win."
Entering the game, much of the talk revolved around the point guard matchup of Harding and Latta. Last season, when Harding was suspended, Latta tore the Blue Devils apart in three games, averaging 20.7 points in three Tar Heel wins.
In the first half Sunday, Harding seemed to make difference, pestering Latta all over the court and holding her to seven points, despite Latta's buzzer-beating three-pointer. But Latta came back strong in the second half with 10 points and five assists and turned the ball over just once in the period, leading her team to victory.
Riding Latta's play, the Tar Heels dismantled Duke's defense in the second half. She, along with the rest of North Carolina's guards, beat the Duke defenders off the dribble repeatedly and found open post players underneath for layups. Sophomore Erlana Larkins had 17 of her game-high 23 points in the second half.
"We didn't stop their penetration-they broke us down," Goestenkors said. "Either the guards scored or they drew help from our post players and dumped it down for easy lay-ins."
A lot of credit has to be given to North Carolina and Latta especially for breaking down Duke and getting to the basket late in the game. Latta proved again why many consider her the nation's top point guard and why North Carolina holds a huge advantage over Duke.
But some questions should arise about the Blue Devil defense. Freshman Abby Waner looked lost on the perimeter at times. Tar Heel reserve guard Alex Miller beat her to the basket, delivering a crucial bucket with less than three minutes remaining that stretched the Tar Heel lead to four points. And Harding, normally a defensive stopper, became less effective toward the end of the game, in which she played a full 40 minutes. Eventually, Latta-one of the nation's quickest and most active players-wore her down at both ends of the court.
For much of the season, the Blue Devils have relied on as many as 12 players, but in the last two games, fewer have seen action. Though it was not a factor in Monday's blowout victory over No. 1 Tennessee, Duke seemed to tire down the stretch Sunday, and the Tar Heels were able to take advantage.
"I thought we were more fresh than Duke," North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "I thought Duke look tired in the last few minutes, and we were playing with emotion."
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