HOW SWEET IT IS!
Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels are still dancing, as they clinched their spot in the Sweet 16 with a victory over Maryland on Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill.
North Carolina did exactly what it aimed to do. Once they received word they'd be hosting NCAA Tournament games for a second consecutive season, the objective was to win two games to defend their home court at Carmichael Arena. They did just that, putting together two exciting wins to clinch their ticket to Fort Worth.
Keys to the Game
When you look at this win over Maryland, it's impossible not to mention the stellar performances put together by the back court duo of Elina Aarnisalo and Lanie Grant.
Aarnisalo battled through foul trouble but played 39 minutes, scoring a game-high 21 points. Most of her damage came by driving the lane, as she was an effective 8 of 14 from the floor.
Grant logged 37 minutes and made just as much of an impact offensively. The sophomore guard finished the afternoon with 20 points, as Maryland had no answer when either of the Tar Heels guards got a full head of steam going toward the basket.
Defense is the key
Maryland struggled throughout shooting the basketball, knocking down just 32% of the 71 shots they chucked up.
To add to that, Maryland only connected on three of 23 shots from beyond-the-arc and missed 14 of 31 attempts from the free-throw line, as you have to give credit to North Carolina's aggressive defensive attack for making life difficult for the No. 5-seeded Terrapins.
What's Next?
The Sweet 16 is in the cards for the UNC women's basketball program, but they'll have to wait another day to find out who their matchup will be in Fort Worth.
On Monday night, the No. 1 overall seed UConn will take on Syracuse, with the winner destined for a meeting with the Tar Heels later on this week.
For now, the Tar Heels will rest and refocus as they prepare to hit the road to continue their NCAA Tournament journey.