UNC women hoping third time's a charm

NORFOLK, Va. - North Carolina has arrived at the NCAA tournament as the top seed in the New Orleans regional and with designs on getting the whole job done.

Last year, the Tar Heels were in control of their national semifinals game against Tennessee, leading by 12 with 8:18 left, before the Lady Vols closed with a 20-2 run. Two years ago, Maryland beat North Carolina 81-70, also in the national semifinals.

While Tennessee and Maryland went on to claim national championships, the Tar Heels were doomed to months of agonizing memories of being so close.

This year, they said Saturday, will have a different ending.

"I think the third time's the charm," senior forward Erlana Larkins said, a day before the top-seeded Tar Heels open the 2008 tournament against Bucknell.

Junior Rashanda McCants was much bolder about her expectations.

"This year we just know that we're going to take it all the way," she said.

The second-ranked Tar Heels (30-2) have played like a team with unfinished business all season, coach Sylvia Hatchell said, and like one that has learned from the past.

"We wanted to get back to where our season ended last year," Hatchell said. "They've been there. They know what it takes, but yet, I think they want to do more than they have accomplished in the last couple of years. They want more. I know that."

And it all starts Sunday against the Patriot League champion Bison (16-15), who won their berth by taking the league tournament after going in as the fifth seed.

Hatchell said her players sometimes roll their eyes when she tells them about history, and how Harvard won as a No. 16 seed at Stanford in 1998, but her message has been aided as her team has watched the upset-filled start of the men's tournament.

"When you get in the NCAA tournament, I think everybody feels like they've got a chance, sort of like a new life, a new opportunity, another phase of your season," Hatchell said.

Just as seeing heavily favored teams lose or get taken to the buzzer can serve as an eye-opener for the favorites, the upsets by the underdogs also fuel a fire.

"Our men had the big win against Kansas a few years ago," Bucknell coach Kathy Fedorjaka said, recalling the 14th-seeded Bison's 64-63 shocker in 2005. "I think it's great that they're seeing these other (upsets) right now, but that's close to home."

Besides, Fedorjaka said, "I don't believe Harvard's going to be the only one. It's going to happen again, and it's probably getting closer. Why not us?"

If the Tar Heels win, their road to the Final Four will quickly get tougher. They'll play either Georgia or Iowa on Tuesday night, with the winner advancing to New Orleans, where one of the teams likely to be waiting will be second-seeded LSU.

Georgia has been to five consecutive regionals, LSU four straight Final Fours.

"You never know what's going to happen," Hatchell said. "That's why we have the NCAA tournament, so you've got to be ready when you go out there to play."

Sunday's slate at the Constant Center includes the Virginia elimination rounds, with state schools Old Dominion (29-4) and Liberty (28-3) meeting and Virginia (23-9) making its first appearance in three years against UC Santa Barbara (23-7).

Three years ago, Liberty advanced to the regionals for the first time, and the Flames return with a player who got the attention of Lady Monarchs coach Wendy Larry.

Megan Frazee, the Big South Conference player of the year, averaged 18.6 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Flames. She also hit the short jumper with 0.3 seconds to play to give Liberty a 66-65 victory against Radford in the conference championship.

"You get angry watching her because she does so many things well," Larry said.

Frazee is one of three triplets playing for the Flames, but only two will see action Sunday. Her sister Moriah, Liberty's second-leading scorer, torn her anterior cruciate ligament in the victory against the Highlanders and is lost for the year.

The Flames also lost forward Rebecca Lightfoot to the same injury a few weeks earlier, leaving coach Carey Green feeling like his team is a bit shorthanded.

"I feel comfortable with the players we have on the floor. Sometimes they are not able to stay on the floor (because) they're tired or in foul trouble," he said.