No. 5 North Carolina beats No. 19 Vanderbilt

Latta had 22 points ? her best as a college player in her native state ? to keep No. 5 North Carolina unbeaten with an 87-67 victory over No. 19 Vanderbilt.

Latta has no doubt why she plays so well on the Grand Strand.

“Oh man, it’s like coming home,” Latta said, smiling.

The Tar Heels (11-0) are off to their best start since the 1994-95 season when they were 18-0. Latta was a big reason why in this one.

She had three layups to kick start a 19-2 first-half run that gave North Carolina the lead for good. Then she got to have fun as the lead kept growing, putting on a show in her return to her native state.

Vanderbilt (8-3) did not have an answer for Latta. Then again, few teams do.

Latta, from McConnells near the North Carolina border, is the Palmetto State’s all-time prep scoring leader and has been particularly crisp at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. During her senior year at York Comprehensive in 2002, Latta scored 53 points on this court ? with her future college coach Sylvia Hatchell and Tar Heel teammates in the stands.

A season later, Latta scored 16 points here as a North Carolina freshman in a win over South Carolina. Last year, Latta was at it again with 17 points and a career-high 13 assists against Georgia State.

The crowd Tuesday night was ready for her to do it again. They cheered as Latta led the Tar Heels on to the floor for pre-game warmups. Latta bounced through her teammates during introductions with such enthusiasm that Hatchell smiled and clapped along with the fans.

“The fans show me love and it’s great to come back home and play in front of them,” Latta said.

On the last of her three layups, Latta stole the ball near Vanderbilt’s basket and, as she moved toward her hoop, defender Dee Davis fell on her back trying to keep up.

“She’s done that to a lot of people,” Hatchell said. “We kept the tape of her doing it to Alana Beard (of Duke) a couple of years ago.”

Latta showed her outside range as well, hitting three 3-pointers in the opening half. Her final one brought the fans to their feet again as she swished a shot from about 24 feet with the shot-clock running down.

“I just do whatever this team needs me to,” said Latta, who also had eight assists.

Vanderbilt looked as if it had a plan to attack North Carolina when it got quick inside baskets from Carla Thomas and Liz Sherwood to lead 7-2. But then Latta got the Tar Heels going and Vanderbilt could not keep up.

Commodores coach Melanie Balcomb thought her team was mentally ready in their first game in 10 days. “But then they picked up the pressure and we didn’t respond,” Balcomb said.

North Carolina led by as much as 32 points in the second half until the Commodores closed the gap in the final minutes.

Latta’s not the only Tar Heel who likes coming to this beach resort area. North Carolina has won eight of its past nine games here and is 13-4 since Hatchell began playing here in 1994.

Five North Carolina players finished in double figures. Camille Little had 14 points and Rashanda McCants, the sister of former Tar Heel Rashad McCants, added 13.

Christina Wirth, Cherish Stringfield and Nicole Jules led the Commodores with 11 points each.

Hatchell says some teams on the kind of run her Tar Heels are ? remember the 77-54 win at Connecticut two weeks ago ? might let their confidence turn into cockiness and stumble. Hatchell and Latta don’t expect that to happen.

“That’s what I have to make sure, that we’re of that one mind,” Latta said. “I think the team realizes that.”