Latta bounces back

DALLAS – Once again, Ivory Latta was headed to the locker room way too early in a late-round NCAA tournament game, North Carolina’s hopes possibly going with her.

Only this time, Latta came back, and the Tar Heels never wavered.

Latta limped off a few minutes before halftime, but returned to help Erlana Larkins lead a strong start to the second half that top-seeded North Carolina rode to an 84-72 victory over Purdue in the finals of the Dallas Regional on Tuesday night, clinching a spot in the Final Four for the second year in a row.

Last year’s title shot was ruined when Latta hurt her knee early in a loss to Maryland in the national semifinal. Now a senior who has vowed to do whatever it takes to go out with a championship, she’ll have a few days to recover before facing fellow No. 1 seed Tennessee in Cleveland on Sunday.

“It was only a cramp,” Latta said. “Everything’s all good.”

Larkins had a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Tar Heels (34-3) set a school record for wins and kept alive their chances for a second crown. Latta had 21 points, her most this tournament, plus her usual leadership.

“It feels good,” said Latta, wearing her regional championship T-shirt and hat while signing autographs for fans as her teammates cut down the net. “Purdue’s a great team. This was a big win.”

The Boilermakers (31-6) were within 64-60 with 6:47 left when star Katie Gearlds fed Jodi Howell for a layup, forcing a timeout and drawing a scream and an exultant jab from Gearlds. After Latta missed a 3-pointer on the other end, Gearlds put up a 3 and got nothing but air. She couldn’t help but laugh and pat her chest, saying, “My bad,” as she looked at the bench.

North Carolina answered with a 7-0 rally led by Larkins. She started it with a three-point play, then assisted on two more baskets as the Tar Heels turned away Purdue’s hopes of getting to the Final Four in its first season under coach Sharon Versyp.