North Carolina's Ivory Latta made the winning shot and then was carried from the floor — by the team's trainers.

The tough and tiny point guard hit a driving layup with 2.8 seconds left before her leg cramped up as the top-seeded Tar Heels advanced in the NCAA tournament with a 70-68 win yesterday over Purdue in the semifinals of the Cleveland Regional.

After banking in the go-ahead basket to snap a 68-68 tie, Latta fell to the floor in pain and watched as Purdue's Katie Gearlds missed a half-court heave as time expired. The Tar Heels (32-1) rushed to Latta, who by then was grabbing her left knee and screaming in agony.

As her teammates flocked around her, the arena went from wild cheers to stunned silence.

Latta laid on the floor for several minutes before she was picked up by Carolina's medical staff and taken to the locker room while the other Tar Heels remained on the floor to hear their alma mater.

North Carolina will play second-seeded Tennessee in the regional final tomorrow night with the winner getting a spot in the final four in Boston.

Latta said her calf muscle cramped as she went up for the layup, but she will not miss the Tar Heels' matchup with the second-seeded Lady Vols.

"I'm a tough little cookie," Latta said with a smile. "It's going to take a lot to knock me out of a game."

The Boilermakers (26-7) pushed the tournament's top seed to the brink of elimination before Latta bailed the Tar Heels out.

Aya Traore's 15-foot jumper with 29.6 seconds to go tied it at 68 before North Carolina called a timeout. On the final possession, Latta let some time run off the clock before the junior blasted toward the basket and finished the Boilermakers off.

Erlana Larkins scored 23 points and Latta added 19, eight assists and four steals for the Tar Heels.

Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton had 21 and Traore 17 for the Boilermakers, who took a 63-62 lead with 3:14 remaining on a jumper by Erin Lawless. But Larkins bulled her way down low for two baskets and a layup by La'Tangela Atkinson gave North Carolina a 68-64 lead with 1:35 left.

But Purdue refused to cave and tied it again before Latta, the Tar Heels' 5-foot-6 bundle of energy ended it with a basket Carolina fans may never forget.

TENNESSEE 76, RUTGERS 69

Pat Summitt is sick of seeing good friend C. Vivian Stringer in March.

Tennessee's famed coach knocked her fellow Hall of Famer out of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year yesterday.

Candace Parker scored 29 points with six blocks, and Shanna Zolman hit five 3-pointers for a career-high 29 points to lead Tennessee (31-4) to its 21st regional final appearance.

Summitt took no joy though in beating Stringer.

"I hope we never see Rutgers again in a regional tournament," Summitt said. "We've seen them so many times. It's tough to play against one of your best friends."

The matchup of two of the three winningest coaches in women's basketball has gone Summitt's way every time in the postseason. The Scarlet Knights are 0-5 against the Lady Vols in the NCAA tournament, including a loss last season in the regional final.

Summitt previously called Tennessee's No. 2 seed in the same region with top overall seed North Carolina a "slap in the face."

Stringer didn't hold back in her criticism of the NCAA after the game.

"They have been a joke with regards to the selection," Stringer said. "I didn't say that earlier because I thought I'd get sent to Alaska and they don't have a regional there."

Matee Ajavon led Rutgers (27-5) with 24 points.