The Lady Tar Heels withstood arguably the toughest bracket in the tournament and are now rewarded with a trip to Boston. The Heels departed Chapel Hill Thursday night with the love and appreciation of this year’s fans to go along for the ride. They will face Maryland at 7pm in Sunday’s semi-final match-up. The Lady Terrapins handed the Tar Heels its only loss of the season with an overtime victory in February. The Heels avenged the loss in the ACC tournament, by capturing the crown in the title game. Now, a much bigger crown is on the line, and there’s only room for one.

The day a 22-game winning streak would cease to exist.

The day a 30 home-game winning streak was laid to rest.

For most teams, a day like this would potentially mean the end to an otherwise limitless season. But for the Lady Heels, this was the beginning of something special.

But there was still one last order of business for the nation's top team...

The Maryland Terrapins....

Sunday’s rematch in the ACC tournament answered any and all questions about the resilience of the Lady Heels. Erlana Larkins posted a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds, followed by the 26-point effort of star guard Ivory Latta, not to mention double digit performances by both La’Tangela Atkinson and Camille Little. You see, this time around, no one was willing to let the lead slip away.

And they didn’t.

Instead, they won convincingly (91-80), erasing any debris from that infamous February day.

The Heels avenged the 98-95 overtime clincher with a consecutive ACC title.

No doubt about it….

It’s Tar Heel Time.

Check it out:

http://www.sportsline.com/redir?url=4766

For much of the season, a double-digit finish for Carolina forward Reyshawn Terry equaled an automatic win for the Tar Heels. This time around, the sum total of a Terry double-digit finish, in addition to double-double performances by both Hansbrough and Noel were not quite enough to edge the Heels over the Virginia Cavaliers Thursday night. The Tar Heels let a two-point halftime lead slip away, eventually succumbing to the Cavaliers, 72-68. Thursday's loss also doubled the number of conference losses this season. The Heels are now 2-2 in the ACC.

Women's basketball head coach Sylvia Hatchell added yet another accolade to an already decorated tenure. The Hall of Fame coach joined an elite club on Sunday afternoon with a 65-53 win over N.C. State. Tennessee head coach Pat Summit, Texas coach Jody Conradt, LSU's Sue Gunter, and Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer were the only D-1 coaches to reach the 700 career win mark. Now, UNC head coach Sylvia Hatchell can add her name to that list.

The conference season has officially begun and both the men and women's basketball team seem unphased by the change. An early 2-0 start has propelled both of these teams into the Atlantic Coast Conference season.

When five-year veteran Gary Tranquill announced his retirement as the Tar Heel offensive coordinator, there was reason for concern. With the defense beginning to find its stride under the leadership of newly-hired coordinator Marvin Sanders, an offensive vacancy was not the ingredient for a rejuvenated football program. But just in time, head coach John Bunting secured yet another piece in the construction of a winning program. The Heels named Frank Cignetti, who led Fresno State to back-to-back top 10 national rankings in scoring offense, as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Added to an already impressive resume, Cignetti perused the sidelines as the New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Before joining the Saints, he served as an offensive assistant and quality control coach with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Tar Heels smothered Davidson 82-58 Tuesday night to propel them into conference play. The next match-up comes against storied rival N.C. State at the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday. Saturday's game marks only the second time in 31 years that N.C. State (13) will come in ranked above the Tar Heels (25). As seen in both the Illinois and Kentucky game, the only numbers this squad seems to worry about are the numbers on the scoreboard when the clock runs down to zero.

Before heading home for the holidays, the Tar Heels had one last order of business to take care of. Junior guard Ivory Latta took this one for the team.

There's no place like home.

Latta's 22 points and eight assists in the 87-67 victory over Vanderbilt not only propelled the Heels to 11-0, the best start since the 1994-95 season, but it also reiterated just how much of an impact she's had with this team. And what a better place to showcase her skills than in front of the home crowd, who eagerly awaited her return.

Even more impressive in the decisive win over the third ranked opponent of the year was the ease with which Latta dominated any and all defenders. Latta's eight assists, not to be overshadowed by a 22-point effort, exemplified that there really is no stopping this kid. Try to contain her, and she'll find another way to beat you. Vanderbilt may still be looking for that one tactic to stop Ivory Latta.....if there is one.

And to think, she did it all with a smile.

Oh yes, exam time is here, which means the action will not reconvene until the books are officially closed for the semester.

Before you get all upset, don't worry. Both teams hit the hardwood again on Saturday, Dec. 17.

Men's Basketball
Santa Clara
Chapel Hill, N.C. - 8:00 PM
Fox Sports Net South

Women's Basketball
Coastal Carolina
Chapel Hill, N.C. - 2:00 PM

Despite a 12-point Tar Heel lead going into the half, ESPN commentator Stacy Dales-Schuman "knew" the UConn Huskies would somehow come back to claim the victory. That's pretty much been the overriding theme for both the men's and women's basketball team this year. Irregardless of the victories, critics continue to place the Tar Heels at the lower end of the totem pole. Fortunately, both teams remain unphased by the criticism. Instead, they've decided to speak through their actions. And the message is clear. Just ask UConn.....

From the start, the Heels muzzled the more than 13,000 fans in attendance with explosive offense and a stifling defensive effort. Sophomore forward Erlana Larkins tallied three blocks on the night, forcing UConn to rethink their strategy. Nothing seemed to work as the Huskies struggled to break the nine-point mark early on, as the Heels continued to stack the lead.

UConn offensive catalyst Ann Strother's 5-14 shooting night, along with short-lived second half runs merely reiterated the obvious truth. Or shall I say truths.

1. Placing a dog(UConn) or a cat(Kentucky) in the ring with a Ram is a bad idea from the start. I mean really!

2. There's absolutely NO reason to refute the critics with words. Our actions seem to speak much louder than words ever could.

The Tar Heel men's soccer team missed this year's Final Four with a 3-2 loss to Southern Methodist University Saturday at Fetzer Field.

The Heels overcame a two-goal second half deficit, sending the game into overtime, but were not able to seal the deal in its only overtime loss of the season.

SMU ended a 10-match unbeaten streak for the Heels. The last time Carolina made it to the quarterfinal match in 2001, we won it all.

Raymond Felton....gone

Sean May...gone

Rashad McCants..

So techincally, North Carolina should'nt even crack the Top 25, right?

Wrong!

In case you haven't noticed, while Felton, May, and McCants may all be gone, let's focus on who's still here. Rather, what is still here.

Under Head Coach Roy Williams, the Tar Heels have exceeded any and all expectations. Rising to a 4-1 start, the latest 83-79 victory at Kentucky proved that there is still reason to respect the reigning NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

In Tuesday's loss to Illinois, we all witnessed the heart of this young Carolina team. Even in the midst of a 14- point second half deficit, the Heels were never out of the game. Consecutive trips to the free throw line sealed the fate of the Illinois game, not our season.

Saturday, the Heels proved that not only do they have the heart to carry them through, but ability as well. In past years, Carolina has been criticized for its lack of team morale in the midst of an enormous talent pool. Between Reyshawn Terry's game-high 25-points in the Kentucky victory, or Tyler Hansbrough's steadying post dominance, neither our talent nor our ability to operate as a cohesive unit can be questioned.

And for the record, Saturday's game is anything but an upset. I prefer the term...statement!

In the aftermath of a 68-64 loss against the University of Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team, there weren't tears...

....there weren't boos

....there wasn't even disappointment

....there was this...........

It's not the kind of thing you can explain. It's the kind of thing you feel. It's watching two halves of basketball in what the rest of the world labeled the rematch of the 2005 National Championship Game, not being familiar with over 75 percent of the players on the court.

It's analyzing every shot decision,

every reaction to a loose ball,

every grunt for the rebound.

It was about finding our heart.

For a November college basketball game, the intensity level mimicked that of the historic 2005 April night.
Where I stood, I quivered in anxiety waiting for the game to play out. Not because there was a National championship on the line. Not even because there was a season on the line. But because these group of guys had stolen my heart.

Coming into this game, I was still trying to figure out if Tyler's last name was Hansborough or Hansbrough. (It's definitely Hansbrough). But that just goes to show you how much I knew about this team. Until Tuesday night...

Not only do I know their names, but I now know their hearts. To have freshman forward Tyler Hansbrough lead the team with 17 points, followed by fellow freshman guard Marcus Ginyard with 14 in a game mirroring that of the 2005 National championship; one that they both watched just like every other Tar Heel fan, how can you not love them?

But just as my heart began to melt, someone else's did as well...

"But I'm really proud of my team. They were down 13 or so and they kept playing and trying to make plays. I told them that they played harder and better than I coached. And I apologized to them for that. I looked out there a couple times and we had four freshmen and somebody else out on the court."
--- Head Coach Roy Williams

So there you have it. Thousands of Tar Heel fans picking apart daisies until the final petal...

We are definitely in love.

5 wins + 6 losses = season over.

Bowl hopes.

But midway through the third period, the Heels were awoken from that dream. The Hokies tallied 21 points in the third quarter leaving the Carolina unable to answer the call. With a Hokie 6-3 lead at the half, a Tar Heel victory was not out of the question.

What was in question was the number of opportunities the Heels failed to capitalize on, not only in this game, but throughout the season. With arguably the toughest schedule in the nation, an under-rated Tar Heel team managed to hang with the "big boys" throughout much of the season. It's hanging until the very end that seemed to plague this squad.

The final score of 30-3 against Virginia Tech spoke numbers to the season we've experienced. The Heel score remained unchanged from haltime until the bitter end. Ironically, the inability to change the gameplan in the second half has been the achilles heel for a talented Tar Heel squad.

It's definitely tough watching the boys in blue hang up the game day attire while football is still being played across the nation....

But...

Like any true Tar Heel would know, we're labeled as such because we stick it out!!! With this season in the wind, all we can do now is get ourselves in the position to compete next season.

No need to look back...

..or future's even brighter.