May 27, 2004

May 13: UNC 91, Familia Schio 86

The UNC women's basketball team opened its European trip with a win in its first outing, defeating Familia Schio, a professional team, 91-86. Leah Metcalf led the Tar Heels with 25 points and Ivory Latta followed with 18. Camille Little scored 17, Nikita Bell 15, Jessica Sell 10 and La'Tangela Atkinson six. Also seeing action were Jennifer Nelms and Tiffany Tucker. The Tar Heels have just eight active players on the trip. Rising senior Kenya McBee is also traveling, but is currently sidelined following shoulder surgery.

"Considering we've only been here a day and everyone is still jet-lagged, I thought we played pretty well," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "We scored well and played tough down the stretch. International basketball is different from what we're used to and this is very good team, so I was happy with the win."

The game was played in Schio, Italy, several hours' drive from Como, where the team is currently staying.

The traveling party arrived in Milan on May 12 and toured the city before traveling to Como, where the group is staying in a hotel on the shores of Lake Como. Thursday began with a boat excursion on the lake, including a stop in in the town of Bellagio, before the team returned to the hotel and loaded up for the trip to Schio. On Friday morning, it's on to the next destination, Florence.

May 19: UNC 90, Greek National Team 87, OT

North Carolina won the second game of its European tour on May 19, defeating the Greek National Team 90-87 in overtime in a game played in Glyfada, a suburb of Athens.

Rising senior Nikita Bell hit a jumper with 10 seconds in regulation to tie the game then stole the ball in the closing seconds to prevent Greece from taking the lead. Camille Little scored seven of her 14 points in the overtime period and Leah Metcalf hit a late three-pointer to give Carolina the win.

Bell finished with 24 points and Ivory Latta had 21. La'Tangela Atkinson had a double-double with 16 points and a team-high 14 rebounds.

"We started flat, with a lot of turnovers, but eventually we got going," UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "We've been doing a lot of walking in the past few days, so I think everyone was a little tired.

"The game was very physical, as international basketball is, but we hung in there and played tough. We got the ball inside and our rebounding was good."

After winning their first two games of the trip, the Tar Heels meet Greece against on Thursday for the final competition in Europe. The UNC party will be based in Athens for the rest of the stay, until flying back to the States on May 23. Wednesday's activities included a sightseeing tour of Athens, and on Friday the team will take a day cruise to some of the Greek islands in the Saronic Gulf.

May 20: UNC 66, Greek National Team 63

The UNC women's basketball team won the final game of its European tour on Thursday evening, defeating the Greek National Team, 66-63. The matchup was Carolina's second in as many days versus the team that will represent Greeece in the Olympic Games in Athens this summer. The Tar Heels defeated the host team 90-87 in overtime on Wednesday night.

Greece led, 36-32, at halftime of a game that was tight throughout.

Camille Little was one of three Tar Heels in double figures with 22 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds. Ivory Latta scored 19 points and Nikita Bell had 15 for UNC. La'Tangela Atkinson led Carolina on the boards with 13 rebounds.

The Tar Heels will spend two more days in Greece before beginning the trip home on May 23.