March 22, 2008

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format

NORFOLK, Va. --- North Carolina (30-2) opens its quest for a third straight Final Four when the top-seeded Tar Heels face 16th-seeded Bucknell Sunday at noon at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Va. Carolina is the automatic qualifier from the Atlantic Coast Conference for the fourth year in a row after the Tar Heels defeated No. 12 Duke, 86-73, on March 9 in the ACC Tournament final. Bucknell (16-15) is the automatic qualifier from the Patriot League, as the Bison defeated Holy Cross, 57-45, for the title. Carolina is ranked No. 2 in the AP poll and the coaches' poll. Bucknell is unranked.

AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 30-2, Bucknell 16-15
Rankings: North Carolina is ranked No. 2 in both the AP poll and the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. Bucknell is unranked.
TV: ESPN2. Marc Kestecher (play-by-play), Brenda VanLengen (analyst) and Todd Harris (sideline) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network, a division of Learfield Communications. Brad Heller (play-by-play) and Jan Boxill (analyst) have the call.
Websites: TarHeelBlue.com (UNC), BucknellBison.com (Bucknell)

BUCKNELL SERIES NOTES
• North Carolina and Bucknell have never met in women's basketball.

POTENTIAL SECOND ROUND MATCHUPS
• The winner of the UNC-Bucknell matchup will meet the winner of Georgia-Iowa.
• North Carolina is 0-5 all-time against Georgia and 0-2 all-time against Iowa.
• The Tar Heels have faced Georgia in the NCAA Tournament twice - a 72-70 loss in the first round in 1983 and an 83-57 loss in the regional semifinal in 2000. UNC and Iowa have not played in the NCAA Tournament.

CAROLINA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• UNC enters the tournament as a No. 1 seed for the fifth time in school history and the fourth season in a row. Carolina was also a No. 1 seed in 1997.
• Carolina is 13-3 all-time in NCAA first round games, with its last loss coming to Middle Tennessee in 2004.
• The Tar Heels are 17-17 all-time in NCAA Tournament games played away from Chapel Hill.
• Carolina is 33-14 in NCAA Tournament play in 15 previous appearances under head coach Sylvia Hatchell. • UNC has an all-time NCAA record of 35-18 in 19 overall appearances and was the 1994 NCAA Champion.

STREAKS
• Carolina has won 21 of its last 22 and 13 in a row. The Tar Heels also won all 14 ACC regular season games, marking the first undefeated run in school history.
• Bucknell has won six of its last seven games, including four in a row.