In a choppy, foul-plagued contest, #6 seed UNC held off late-charging Florida State, the #3 seed by a score of 78-65. After a slow start by both teams, the Heels took control of the game thanks to threes by Italee Lucas and great boardwork by Laura Broomfield. The Heels took a commanding 39-24 lead at the half and held the Noles to just 24% shooting. UNC pushed their lead to 17 in the second half before FSU finally started getting some better looks for center Cierra Bravard. Natasha Howard, who spent the bulk of the first half on the bench thanks to picking up 3 fouls, was also starting to get to the foul line. As foul trouble piled up for UNC (Jessica Breland picked up 2 in quick succession), FSU inched ever closer.

A 17-3 run brought FSU within 58-57 with 9:28 to play. After FSU pulled within 61-59, Lucas sank a tough jumper and Cetera DeGraffenreid converted a Nole turnover into a layup. Florida State drew no closer than 7 points down the stretch and went scoreless during the game's last 3:40. This wasn't a brilliant win for UNC, but their controlled chaos very much worked to their advantage, even as they were committing a mind-boggling 27 fouls. The two teams combined for 48 fouls and 41 turnovers and there was no question that UNC dictated tempo throughout the game. The best sign for the Heels is that they converted 27 of their 34 foul shots for 79%. They will match up against another team that loves to run and pressure the ball, and will pit their size & depth against Miami's skill and cohesion.

Top Performers:

• UNC Jessica Breland: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
• UNC Laura Broomfield: 15 points, 11 rebounds
• FSU Ciera Bravard 20 points, 12 rebounds