North Carolina has size, WVU has chaotic defense heading into second round NCAA matchup

Mar. 23—CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — West Virginia's full-court pressure was a hot topic Sunday for North Carolina players and head coach Courtney Banghart.

On the flip side, WVU head coach Mark Kellogg and the Mountaineers were peppered about their lack of size.

In a nutshell, that breaks down the NCAA second-round matchup between the third-seeded Tar Heels (28-7) and the sixth-seeded Mountaineers (25-7).

WVU STATS Both teams will have an eye on advancing to the Sweet 16, when they tip-off at 7 p.m. Monday at Carmichael Arena.

"West Virginia is very sporadic with their pressure, " North Carolina guard Indya Nivar said. "You don't know what defense they're going to be in at which time."

UNC may not know exactly what is coming by way of the Mountaineers' defense, the Tar Heels just know it's likely going to be relentless.

"Everyone's defensive schemes are going to be a little bit different, " Banghart said. "You can't really practice to perfection, but you can prepare for it. I think that's what we've done through film and in our workouts last week knowing we may play a team like this."

Meanwhile, Kellogg has to figure out a way to handle North Carolina's 6-foot-3 center Maria Gakdeng on the inside and then wonder if North Carolina's height advantage at the guard position and on the wing will make a big difference.

"We go into every game and we don't have a size advantage, so that's not new for us, " Kellogg said. "We do have to game plan for that. Gakdeng is having a really good year. They have size. They have athleticism.

"But you just have to game plan for it. I'm not going to give you the game plan. But, yeah, it's a part of what we do."

Both teams know where their advantages lie. WVU will try and create chaos, while North Carolina wants to flex its muscles.

"I think that's the fun part, because you just never really know what's going to happen in March Madness, " WVU guard J.J. Quinerly said. "Anything can happen. Honestly, the toughest team will win."

The big key Gakdeng's season has been one with ups and downs for the Tar Heels.

She can be dominant, like a 21-point, 14-rebound game against Syracuse or she can get in foul trouble—the senior has fouled out four times this season—and not be much of a factor.

If Gakdeng, who averages 11.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, can stay on the floor, the Tar Heels like their chances.

"We call Maria the problem because she's a real problem one-on-one, so planning on a double-team means you're leaving other guys open.

"Maria is a problem, and she needs to continue to do so in order for us to be successful."

This is where WVU freshman Jordan Thomas may come into play.

Thomas is also 6-3 and is coming off a first-round game in which she finished with 12 points and nine rebounds against Columbia.

It's just a freshman-senior matchup in the post rarely works out for the freshman.

"She's gotten better all year long. She's a freshman, and typically they've got peaks and valleys to the freshman season, " Kellogg said of Thomas. "I thought she settled in the second rotation through. Her first rotation, I thought she looked a little more freshman-like, and I thought she settled in and then really was good for us."

The quick key Quinerly and Harrison combined for 50 points against Columbia, with a lot of their points coming off steals and turnovers that led to fastbreaks the other way.

If WVU has to battle size, does North Carolina have any way to slow down the Mountaineers' duo ?

"They have a couple really dynamic guards, so playing really good group defense and making them play in crowds will be important, " North Carolina guard Lanie Grant said. "We have to limit turnovers. They press a lot, so we have to remain under control."

WVU at NORTH CAROLINA WHEN: 7 p.m., Monday WHERE: Carmichael Arena, Chapel Hill, N.C.

TV: ESPN2 (Comcast 28, HD 851 ; DirecTV 209 ; DISH 143)

RADIO: 100.9 FM WEB: dominionpost.com

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North Carolina has size, WVU has chaotic defense heading into second round NCAA matchup

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