North Carolina Lady Tar Heels Complete Sweep of NC State, 74-57

The ninth-ranked Lady Tar Heels cashed that exacta ticket last night, ending NC State’s three-game win streak with a 74-57 victory in Raleigh.

In a typically well-balanced scoring attack that saw five players hit double digits, North Carolina (24-4, 9-3 ACC) took an early lead and never trailed.

Tar Heel Italee Lucas led the team with 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting, including two-for-six from beyond the arc. She also added seven rebounds and an assist.

Jessica Breland was a workhorse for the Tar Heels, shooting 5-for-7 from the field with three blocked shots. She was perfect from the line, going 4-for-4.

Point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid was cold from the field, but in her 13 trips to the free throw line, she converted 12 times. She added four assists, a block and a steal in UNC's winning effort.

NC State (12-15, 4-8 ACC) never really got out of the gate for this one. Shayla Fields, their leading scorer on the season, struggled from the field and shot a dismal 2-for-15 from three-point land.

Freshman Bonae Holston was the Wolfpack’s leading scorer with 19 points.

As a team, the Lady Wolfpack shot 30.6 percent from the floor against a stifling Tar Heel defense. When the Pack did get open shots, they were unable to put them down.

"We started off getting really good shots," said interim coach Stephanie Glance. "We just didn't hit, so now Carolina is off to the races in their transition. We just were a step off tonight. Everything was a step slow."

The Heels were up by 12 at the half.

NC State managed to cut the lead to nine midway through the second half, but the Tar Heels responded with a 9-0 run over the next four minutes. The Pack would never get close again.

North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell has said all along she believes her team would improve over the course of the season, and they are proving her right.

Maybe senior Rashanda McCants has the explanation.

“We play our best basketball when we play as a team," said the senior forward. “Sometimes we're a little selfish, and when we talk to each other and let each other know it's team basketball, then we can (pull) away from the opponent. It happens every time. It's pass the ball and get the assist, and incredible shots get made and people get going."

Now the Lady Tar Heels are deep into the homestretch. With three games remaining in the regular season, they are in third place in the ACC and looking poised and ready for more success.

On Thursday night, the Tar Heels host Miami (13-14, 2-10 ACC). Three days later, they head over to Durham to take on their good friends, the No. 10 Lady Blue Devils (22-4, 9-3 ACC). They close out the season with South Dakota.

This is some horse race.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.