Postseason play got off to a tremendous start for Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels!
Behind a career night from Lanie Grant, the Tar Heels rode a dominant second quarter and never looked back, defeating Virginia Tech by 19 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal round.
The turning point
North Carolina didn't get off to a hot start, scoring just 11 points in the first quarter. Trailing by five heading into the second quarter, the Tar Heels flipped the switch, outscoring the Hokies 29-11 over the next 10 minutes, including a 15-5 run to end the half, to take a 13-point lead into the break.
From that point on, it was a matter of weathering the storm, as UNC simply was holding off Virginia Tech from making a run to firmly get back into the game.
What a night for Lanie Grant!
Grant scored 20+ points in a single game for the first time in her college career, finishing the night with 21 points. She knocked down eight of her 12 shots from the floor, including four of seven from three-point range, as her success offensively played a huge role in the double-digit victory.
A program record
North Carolina has now set a single-season program record for made three-pointers, as they are now over the 270 mark for the 2025-2026 season.
The Tar Heels knocked down seven triples in this game, as you probably won't be surprised to see who drained the three that secured the single-season record.
2⃣7⃣0⃣ Made Threes for Carolina - the 𝙎𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙇𝙀-𝙎𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙊𝙉 program record. pic.twitter.com/IH5z5Omq0O
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) March 7, 2026
Other notable performances
Nyla Harris recorded her fifth double-double of the season, ending the game with 19 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Elina Aarnisalo was red-hot offensively, contributing 18 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Nyla Brooks was called upon to play heavy minutes off the bench, contributing 10 points of her own.
What's next?
UNC heads to the ACC Tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon, where they will have a rematch with the Louisville Cardinals. Tip-off in Duluth, Georgia is scheduled for 2:30 PM EST.