Feb 6, 2002

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Coretta Brown had 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds to lead No. 24 North Carolina to a 49-45 victory Wednesday night over Villanova.

Brown hit two 3-pointers and got nine of her 11 rebounds to help North Carolina (18-6) to a 27-23 halftime lead. She finished as the only Tar Heel to score or rebound in double figures.

Villanova (12-9) never trailed by more than four points in the second half. The Wildcats got their only lead of the second half at the 6:17 mark when two free throws by sophomore forward Courtney Mix gave Villanova a 40-39 advantage. North Carolina followed with a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead at 45-40. The Wildcats would rally and were down just 47-45 after Trish Juhline sank two free throws with 40 seconds to play.

Candace Sutton helped lock up North Carolina's fourth straight win with her put-back with 13 seconds remaining off a missed layup by Brown. Villanova got off the last shot, a missed 3-point try by Nicole Druckenmiller that Nikki Teasley rebounded and ran out the last four seconds.

Juhline led the Villanova offense with 10 points, while Druckenmiller scored nine points on three three-pointers. Also playing well was senior center Stephanie Baker, who posted seven points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Villanova played without starting point guard Mimi Riley, who averaged 11 points and a team-leading 5.1 assists before spraining an ankle Feb. 2 in Villanova's 61-53 loss to Syracuse.

Villanova made just 15 of 61 shots from the field, including 9 of 38 tries on 3-pointers.

North Carolina made 14 of 50 shots from the floor in its lowest-scoring game of the season. Brown's double-double was the third of her career.

Villanova will get back into action on Saturday, Feb. 9, traveling to Rutgers to take on the Scarlet Knights at 2:00 p.m. The game can be seen live on CN8.