The North Carolina-Duke rivalry renews at Carmichael Arena on Feb. 3, with a little more at stake than the perpetual grudge match. That is because UNC head coach Sylvia Hatchell is one win short of 900 victories for her career.
If the Tar Heels defeat the Blue Devils, Hatchell would become the third coach in Division I history to reach the milestone. Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer is also on the verge on 900 wins but the earliest she can reach the milestone is Feb. 12 – Stringer has 897 career wins.
While the game on Sunday could be historically significant, it is also important in the race for the ACC regular season crown. Fifth-ranked Duke, which beat Miami (Fla.) 82-43 on Jan. 31, currently sits on top of the standings at 9-0 while 11th-ranked UNC and Maryland are tied for second at 8-1. The Tar Heels (20-2) are coming off a 72-62 victory over No. 22 Florida State on Jan. 31.
This game will be the 84th meeting between the rival schools with North Carolina holding a 47-36 edge in the series. However, Duke and UNC have split the 62 games since Hatchell took over the Tar Heels in 1986.
Duke (19-1), which suffered their only loss of the season to Connecticut on Jan. 21, is currently on a three-game winning streak. The Blue Devils are the top three-point shooting team in the nation at 42.4 percent and rank fifth in steals per game (13.4).
Other ACC games on Feb. 3
- Georgia Tech (9-12, 2-8 ACC) will travel to Virginia (14-6, 6-3 ACC) on National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Virginia senior swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist Lauren Perdue will be honored at halftime.
Georgia Tech earned their second ACC victory of the season with an 89-82 overtime victory over Wake Forest on Jan. 31. With the win, the Yellow Jackets snapped a six-game losing streak.
Junior Tyanna Marshall, who scored 28 points and grabbed 17 rebounds against the Demon Deacons, leads the Yellow Jackets with 16.5 points and 8.6 rebounds a game. Brittany Jackson (11.1 points) and Dawnn Maye (10.1 points) are also scoring in double figure for Georgia Tech.
Virginia defeated Georgia Tech 63-51 on Jan. 10, and leads the all-time series 53-12.
The Cavaliers, who are on a three-game winning streak, are led by Ataira Franklin (13.1 points a game) and Kelsey Wolfe (12.2 points a game). Franklin, who poured in a season-high 23 points in Virginia’s last game against Wake Forest, is averaging 19.3 points and shooting 52.8 percent from the floor in her last three games. Wolfe has scored in double-figures in seven consecutive games and has made a three-pointer in 11 of her last 12 games.
This is the first time since Jan. 24, 2010, that the teams have met in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers are 27-1 against the Yellow Jackets in Charlottesville.
- No. 10 Maryland (17-1) will host Boston College (9-11, 3-6 ACC ) on Girls in Sports Day. Maryland will team up with Girls on the Run of the Greater Chesapeake, Suitland Boys & Girls Club and a local Girl Scout Brownie troop in honor of the event.
Boston College snapped a four-game losing streak with an 81-69 victory over N.C. State on Jan. 31. Kerri Shields scored a season-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 4-of-7 beyond the arc. Tessah Holt and Kristen Doherty added 16 points apiece while Katie Zenevitch collected 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Eagles. Nicole Boudreau netted 10 points.
Doherty, who is one of four Eagles averaging double figures, leads Boston College with 12. 7points a game. Zenevitch (12.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Boudreau (11.8 ppg) and Shield (I1.8 ppg) are the other three players that average double figures.
Boston College has made 138 three-pointers this year and has the ACC’s top two three-point shooters in Shields (50 three-pointers) and Boudreau (47).
Maryland is led by Tianna Hawkins and Alyssa Thomas, who are one and two in the ACC in scoring and rebounding this year. Hawkins leads the ACC with 19.1 points and is tied for the conference lead in rebounds with Thomas at 10.3 per game. Thomas is second in the league with 16.5 points a game and second in assists with 5.6 per game.
Chloe Pavlech, who averages 5.8 points and 3.9 assists a game, was named the ACC Rookie of the week on Jan. 28.
Maryland leads the all-time series 12-2.
- Clemson (6-14, 2-7 ACC) at No. 21 Florida State (17-4, 7-3 ACC)
- Wake Forest (10-11, 3-6) at North Carolina State (10-12, 2-8 ACC)
-Virginia Tech (7-13, 1-8 ACC) at Miami (14-7, 5-5 ACC)
ACC notes:
- The Atlantic Coast Conference announced its ninth annual class of ACC Women’s Basketball Legends on Jan. 30. The Legends will be honored at the 2013 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament, which will be held March 7-10 at the Greensboro Coliseum.
The members of the 2013 ACC Legends Class are Amy LaCombe (Boston College, 1986-90), Peggy Caple (Clemson, 1981-85), Kira Orr (Duke, 1993-97), April Traylor-Percy (Florida State, 1998-2002), Danielle Donehew (Georgia Tech, 1996-2000), Jessie Hicks (Maryland, 1989-93), Robin Harmony (Miami, 1980-84), Kathy Crawford (North Carolina, 1979-83), Summer Erb (N.C. State/1996-2000), Daphne Hawkins (Virginia, 1984-88), Michelle Hollister-Houseright (Virginia Tech/ 1994-96 and 97-99).
- Duke junior guard Chelsea Gray and sophomore center Elizabeth Williams along with Maryland senior forward Tianna Hawkins and junior forward Alyssa Thomas were named to the John R. Wooden Award Mid-season Top-20, announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
- Maryland head coach Brenda Frese got her 100th career regular season ACC victory on Jan. 27, when the Terrapins defeated Clemson 80-40.
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