Sorry for the delay - I went to the awards banquet last night and didn't get home in time to post before going to sleep.  More on the banquet later.

By now, you know my stance on women's basketball; I love it.  I love having another Tar Heel basketball team to cheer for.  Especially one that plays so much like the men's team.  I love any Carolina team that goes 30-4, in any sport.

The Tar Heels won for the first time in 12 games against then-#1 Duke in front of nearly 7,000 in the Dean E. Smith Center on January 24th. They allowed Monique Currie and Duke to score just 13 points in the first half, then held off a late rally for the win, taking it 56-51.

It was an emotional win for the Tar Heels, who were slowly climbing up on the national radar.  Ranked 12th at the time, the Heels would eventually grab a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

They beat a bruising team that, like the Tar Heels, is reminiscent of its male counterparts.  Gail Goestenkors is a delightful lady, if I may be sarcastic for a moment.  She and Sylvia both work the refs as well as they coach their teams.

By all accounts, Duke should have run away with the second meeting in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  Nope.  The Heels rallied with 5 minutes to go and didn't look back, winning 77-68 in front of the delightful Cameron Crazies.  Duke was ranked #2 at the time, Carolina #8.

Sylvia Hatchell's Tar Heels began to turn the balance of power in ACC Women's Basketball this season.  Her quick, talented team earned the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament by virtue of sweeping the Blue Devils.  They were a fun team to watch this year, and the future looks bright.