The visiting California Golden Bears had aspirations of spoiling the New Year's Day party in Chapel Hill.
Fortunately, the UNC women's basketball program wasn't going to let that happen.
Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels started the new year off right, securing a hard-fought victory over California on Thursday afternoon at Carmichael Arena.
It definitely wasn't easy
You know what they say, the best things in life don't come easy!
California made it tough for North Carolina throughout, as the Tar Heels were on "upset alert" pretty much through the third quarter.
In fact, the Tar Heels scored the first 9 points of the game, only to have California not only erase the deficit, but take a three-point lead before the first quarter came to a close.
North Carolina turned it up a notch in the second half, connecting on 52% of its shots from the floor, helping pull away for good.
UNC dominated the final quarter and a half
The UNC women's basketball program erased a five-point deficit to take a three-point lead into the final quarter of action. In the fourth, North Carolina showed no mercy, outscoring California 21-8 to put the finishing touches on another conference victory.
Unsung Heroes
In case you didn't already know, this UNC women's basketball team is DEEP.
It feels like every game a new hero emerges, and in this one, it was Taissa Queiroz.
Queiroz only played 30 seconds in the firs half but played a vital 10 minutes in the second half, scoring six points to help spark the rally. Her presence was important, especially with Ciera Toomey picking up a third personal foul, as Banghart went to a smaller lineup that ended up being the right recipe to lead the comeback.
Notables
Indya Nivar was simply Indya Nivar, leading the UNC women's basketball program with 16 points, six assists and four steals. Nyla Harris had another double-double, scoring 13 points while hauling in 10 rebounds, while Ciera Toomey added 13 points and 9 rebounds of her own.
Both Reniya Kelly and Lanie Grant contributed 9 points to help pace the scoring effort.
What's next?
The UNC women's basketball program is back in action on Sunday afternoon when they host Stanford to continue ACC play.