First-half run keys #5 Tar Heels past Patriots

CHAPEL HILL, NC - Fifth-ranked North Carolina used a 21-0 run midway through the first half to break open a close game and the Tar Heels cruised to a 105-64 exhibition win over Francis Marion University, Thursday evening (Nov. 5) in women's basketball action.

Leading only 23-14, UNC scored 21 consecutive points to go up 44-14 en route to a 54-21 halftime advantage.  FMU was facing former Patriot head coach Sylvia Hatchell, who during her 11 seasons in Florence guided the Patriots to a pair of national championships.

Junior honorable mention All-American Shannon Singleton-Bates led Francis Marion with 28 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.  Senior guard Eboni Fields added 16 points, including four three-pointers.

Highly-touted freshman Tierra Ruffin-Pratt led the Tar Heels with 18 points and seven rebounds, while guard Cetera DeGraffenreid recorded 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals.

FMU head coach Heather Macy said, "This was a great opportunity for us, and a good experience to play against a Division I top 5 team.  I can't say enough about how much (UNC head coach and former Francis Marion head coach) Sylvia Hatchell has helped our program.

"I love the fact that we got off 79 shots tonight.  We played the tempo we wanted, we just didn't connect on enough of those attempts.  I thought we competed hard for 40 minutes.   I was very proud of the way Shannon (Singleton-Bates) played tonight.  She put us on her shoulders and carried us."

"I was also very pleased and excited about the number of Francis Marion alums at the game tonight."  

The taller Tar Heels held a 68-41 advantage in rebounding.  UNC forced 34 FMU turnovers which were converted into 29 points.  Conversely, Francis Marion scored 22 points off 26 Tar Heel miscues.

UNC shot 48.2 percent from the field, including 2-of-10 from three-point range, and made 21 of 38 free throws.  The Patriots shot 31.6 percent from the field, including 6-of-30 from beyond the arc, and made 8-of-16 free throws.

Francis Marion will play a second exhibition game at Winthrop University on Saturday at 7 p.m.

11/05/09 7:00 PM at Smith Center, Chapel Hill
At Smith Center, Chapel Hill
NORTH CAROLINA 105, FRANCIS MARION 64
FRANCIS MARION
Singleton-Bates, Sha 10-21 8-13 28; Fields, Eboni 6-18 0-0 16; Mealing,
Nicole 3-9 0-0 8; Colbert, Robin 2-6 0-0 4; Coleman, Dawn 2-7 0-0 4; Franks,
Shana 1-6 0-0 2; Downs, Danelle 1-3 0-2 2; Mealing, Courtney 0-2 0-0 0;
Imani, Ana 0-1 0-0 0; Wilson, Tiffany 0-0 0-0 0; Dickerson, Kristen 0-0 0-0
0; Trice, Simone 0-1 0-0 0; Tucker, Precious 0-5 0-1 0. Totals 25-79 8-16
64.
NORTH CAROLINA
Ruffin-Pratt, Tierra 6-13 4-4 18; DeGraffenreid, C. 7-10 3-6 17; Lucas,
Italee 6-11 2-2 14; Broomfield, Laura 4-7 3-4 11; White, She'la 5-11 0-0 10;
Shegog, Chay 4-6 1-2 9; Wood, Martina 2-2 4-5 8; Gross, Krista 3-5 2-4 8;
Williams, Nyree 2-3 1-5 5; Rolle, Waltiea 1-3 1-4 3; Robertson-Warren, C.
1-4 0-2 2; Powell, Nicole 0-1 0-0 0; Bursey, Trinity 0-9 0-0 0. Totals 41-85
21-38 105.
Halftime: UNC 54 Francis Marion 21
3-point goals--Francis Marion 6-30 (Fields, Eboni 4-14; Mealing, Nicole 2-6;
Coleman, Dawn 0-4; Franks, Shana 0-3; Trice, Simone 0-1; Singleton-Bates,
Sha 0-2), North Carolina 2-10 (Ruffin-Pratt, Tierra 2-3; Lucas, Italee 0-2;
White, She'la 0-2; Gross, Krista 0-1; Bursey, Trinity 0-2). Fouled
out--Francis Marion-None, North Carolina-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 41
(Singleton-Bates, Sha 8), North Carolina 68 (Wood, Martina 8; Rolle, Waltiea
8). Assists--Francis Marion 11 (Colbert, Robin 4), North Carolina 18
(DeGraffenreid, C. 5). Total fouls--Francis Marion 26, North Carolina 18.
Technical fouls--None. A-1455