UNC Women's Basketball blows 12-point lead in loss at Duke

Disappointment.

There's not many words to describe the UNC women's basketball program's collapse at Duke on Sunday afternoon, as the Tar Heels suffered their fourth-straight loss.

The first half was essentially what we all thought it would be: a low-scoring, scrappy affair between two rivals. Even with Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby having a combined four points, the Tar Heels somehow managed to take a one-point lead into the break.

Kelly came alive in the third quarter, as the Tar Heels outscored the Blue Devils 20-9 to take a 12-point lead into the final quarter of play.

From that point on, everything went south... fast.

North Carolina took six minutes and 30 seconds to make a field goal in the fourth quarter, as Duke crawled back in and erased the deficit to tie the game. If it wasn't for Kara Lawson stopping her own team's fast break with a timeout, we probably don't even get to the overtime period.

The Tar Heels had a chance at the end of regulation, but Alyssa Ustby just missed a layup attempt to send the game into extra time. Ustby would foul out shortly into the start of the overtime period, and Duke took advantage of it, especially on the offensive glass.

It's yet another frustrating loss for the UNC women's basketball program, as there seems to be a lack of offensive rhythm and consistency. In situations like this, the long scoring droughts are coming back to haunt them, as Duke fully took advantage on their home floor to essentially steal a win from their biggest rival.

Riding a four-game losing streak, the Tar Heels return home on Thursday night to host Pittsburgh. Hopefully, the UNC women's basketball program can find a way to get back in the win column and build some momentum over the final stretch of the regular season.