UNC Women’s Basketball: Down go the Blue Devils!
The UNC women’s basketball program defended its home court once again, as they defeated No. 13-ranked Duke on Thursday night in Chapel Hill.
In a much-anticipated rivalry matchup, the UNC women’s basketball program defeated No. 13-ranked Duke in front of a very energetic crowd at Carmichael Arena on Thursday night.
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Coming into the game, the Blue Devils had yet to lose a game within ACC play. They were riding an 11-game winning streak and were atop the conference with a 6-0 record.
However, North Carolina capitalized on its plan to ruin that.
The game was dictated by streaks. It started in the first quarter, as Duke did not score a single point for almost the first eight minutes of the game.
In the second quarter, it was the Tar Heels’ turn to struggle, as they went over four minutes without a basket. Sloppy play hurt both sides, as the two rivals went into the half tied up at 21.
Out of the break, it was North Carolina that would get going once again, as junior Alyssa Ustby heated up during the third quarter.
Ustby, who was playing under the weather, scored 10 of her 16 points in the third quarter, as the Tar Heels made more shots in the third quarter alone than they did during the entire first half. A 15-3 run to end the quarter put them up 9, but the Blue Devils wouldn’t go away quietly.
As Duke attempted to battle back, Deja Kelly had other plans. After making just three of her 11 shots in the first half, Kelly scored 9 of her team-high 19 points over the final 10 minutes, which ended up being a major boost for the Tar Heels.
Kennedy Todd-Williams was the only other Tar Heel in double-figures, as she scored 13 points in 35 minutes of action before fouling out. Eva Hodgson only had four points, but all four came at the free throw line down the stretch, as she was able to seal the deal to hand the Blue Devils its first ACC loss of the season.
This is another huge victory for the UNC women’s basketball program, as they have now won four in a row. Over that stretch, the Tar Heels have beaten three ranked teams, which is a major bounce-back after their recent four-game skid.
The first half of play was a struggle on both sides, but you have to give a ton of credit to the Tar Heels for stepping up to the occasion in the second half. Big-time players make big-time plays, as the dynamic duo of Kelly and Ustby stepped up when the Tar Heels needed them the most.
North Carolina will cap off its short three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon, as they host Georgia Tech at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill.
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