UNC Women's Basketball battles but comes up short against No. 2-ranked UConn

If you told UNC women's basketball fans that the Tar Heels lost to No. 2-ranked UConn by 11 while Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski combined to shoot 2-12 from the floor, most (if not all) wouldn't have believed you.

Well, that was the case on Friday night in Greensboro.

Behind an insane first quarter from Paige Bueckers, the Huskies put up 25 points in the first 10 minutes to hold a 9-point lead heading into the break. Bueckers was responsible for 16 of those points, including a buzzer-beating three pointer right in front of the Tar Heels bench.

While the defense struggled in the first quarter, the Tar Heels locked in, especially with the effort to slow down Bueckers.

Playing catch up for the majority of the game, North Carolina wouldn't go down without a fight. Down as many as 21, the Tar Heels cut the Huskies lead to 9 in the fourth quarter, as the comeback was sparked by a lineup that mostly didn't feature the likes of Ustby and Donarski.

Indya Nivar was the reason the Tar Heels were in the game through the early portion of it, as she impressed in her season debut. Nivar finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds and two steals in her first action of the 2024-2025 season.

Ciera Toomey was a force off the bench, scoring a career-high 10 points. Toomey made a couple of three-pointers, including a step back three, showing that she is much more than just a presence in the post.

Sure, the UNC women's basketball program didn't want to lose to UConn. However, there's still some positives to take from this one:

Let's remember: UConn is ELITE. Paige Bueckers is an absolute baller as well. If you give her any little bit of space, she'll find a way to beat you. After the first quarter, the Tar Heels did a rather solid job of keeping her in check.

The Tar Heels got contributions from a bunch of different players! From Lanie Grant to Toomey (among others), this was a very valuable learning experience for some of the team's younger players, as the spotlight of competing against one of the nation's best didn't intimidate them by any means.

Without a doubt, the UNC women's basketball program needs better performances from Ustby and Donarski. They will find their groove (it's only a matter of time).

On Friday, UConn was the better team, but North Carolina showed something in terms of fighting till the finish.