All four ACC teams were in action today. We all know about Duke's
result,
but a mighty cheer went up in Cameron today when the results of
the Middle Tennessee State-UNC game went up, with the
Heels going down hard. MTSU is only the third #13 seed to make it to
the second round, and the loss was a bitter but not entirely unexpected
one for a Heels team that was making noise about going to the Final
Four. The problem for them was the fact that Ivory Latta was
exposed once again as a chucker, not a point guard or leader (yet). When
she makes her share of her wild shots at the basket, everyone praises her
daring. But the fact of the matter is that her shot selection leaves much
to be desired, not to mention her defense. However, no one tells her to
tone down her shooting, and it wasn't until the end of the game when the
Heels made a run because of the inside presence of La'Tangela Atkinson &
Camille Little. Fittingly, it was misfires in the last minute by Latta
and Leah "Elbows" Metcalf that sealed UNC's doom after they had rallied
from a double-digit deficit.
On the other hand, Maryland continued their impressive late-season run
with an upset over 5
seed Miami, a future ACC foe. Maryland's senior posts Delvona Oliver
& Crystal Washington had big games, while their frosh guards Kalika France
& Shay Doron also played well. Maryland will truly be a force to be
reckoned with in the near future. Sadly, a tough Auburn team that gave
Duke a good game earlier in the year dominated NC
State, ending the great Kaayla Chones' career. Still, the Pack
bounced back from a tough start to make it back to the tournament, and
have a bright future with a bunch of freshmen who played well down the
stretch.
In non-NCAA games, it should be noted that former Duke player & coach
Joanne Boyle's Richmond Spiders defeated FSU, while former Duke player
Katie Meier's Charlotte 49ers beat Clemson. Here are a few more Duke
links: