UNC Women’s Basketball complete regular-season sweep of Duke
What a way to end the regular season for the UNC women’s basketball program, as they went into Cameron Indoor Stadium to defeat rival Duke.
Trivia question: heading into Sunday’s action, when was the last time a Duke basketball team lost at Cameron Indoor Stadium?
The answer: Coach K’s final home game.
Well, that changed on Sunday afternoon, as Courtney Banghart and the UNC women’s basketball program pulled off a hard-fought victory over the No. 11-ranked Blue Devils.
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It was a sloppy, physical game throughout, but the Tar Heels found a way to get the job done to close out the regular season.
Things started out very slow for both sides, as turnovers were a consistent issue on both ends throughout the entire contest. Coming into Sunday, the Tar Heels were held to under 10 points in a quarter just five times. Duke was able to limit them to under that mark in both the first and second quarters of this game.
Trailing by seven in the final minute of the first half, Destiny Adams knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead to four. That score would stay heading into the locker room, as the made basket was a huge boost for the Tar Heels moving forward in this one.
North Carolina outscored Duke 13-9 in the third quarter, as the score was knotted up heading into the final quarter. From there, the Tar Heels took control, as they rode a 14-2 run, one which held Duke scoreless for over five consecutive minutes, to pull off the stunning victory.
Of course, Duke had a lot to play for, as they were searching for an ACC regular-season title. However, the Tar Heels spoiled that plan en route to completing their regular season sweep over their biggest rival.
The Tar Heels received contributions from many different players, as no single UNC women’s basketball player scored in double-figures. Alyssa Ustby, Kennedy-Todd Williams, and Deja Kelly each had 9 points apiece, while Paulina Paris (seven) and Destiny Adams (5) provided very valuable minutes off the bench.
Kayla McPherson was outstanding defensively, recording three total steals (among 15 North Carolina steals in the game). She also made arguably the biggest pass of the game, as she connected with Todd-Williams for a three-pointer that at the time knotted up the score.
Banghart and her staff won’t be pleased with the Tar Heels’ 21 turnovers and sloppy play at times, but will definitely be proud of the hard-fought effort that the team put together to make this win possible. After losing a heartbreaker a few days prior, this win goes to show that you simply can’t count this group out.
Postseason play is now in store for the UNC women’s basketball program, as they’ll prepare for this week’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro.
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