While there was doubt that the game would even be played on Sunday afternoon, the UNC women's basketball program overcame the odds to defeat Syracuse in overtime.
If you listened to the program's message about watching from home (to avoid the dangerous snowy conditions), it felt like we were watching a game during COVID all over again. From limited fans in attendance to no broadcast team, the game felt eerily weird, but the result is one we'll all happily take.
The Tar Heels had opportunities to pull away in this one, but give credit to Syracuse for pushing overtime. Once the extra period came along, it was all North Carolina, as UNC claimed a 9-3 advantage to secure the win.
Nyla Harris was outstanding once again, leading the Tar Heels with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Lanie Grant was on fire from three, knocking down five triples en route to a 17-point outing. Both Reniya Kelly (11) and Indya Nivar (10) added double-digit scoring outputs in the victory.
Overall, the Tar Heels shot 45% from the floor, knocking down 14 of 16 attempts at the free-throw line. While Courtney Banghart won't be pleased with her team's 20 turnovers, she'll be very happy with her team's effort defensively, one that held the Orange to shoot just 15% from three-point range.
Now, North Carolina has a week off before a gauntlet of games begins. First on the slate will be a trip to Raleigh top take on NC State, followed by games against Clemson, Wake Forest (away) and SMU before the Tar Heels head to Durham for the first of two meetings this season with the Duke Blue Devils.
Good teams find ways to win, regardless of the circumstances. North Carolina did just that on Sunday afternoon, gutting out another hard-earned victory.