The Tar Heels secured their biggest win of the season, outlasting their rivals NC State 66-65 during a special game, which supported the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
A sold-out Carmichael Arena was decked out in pink, and the UNC women's basketball program was rocking jerseys with pink argyle in celebration of Play4Kay, which honors legendary women’s college basketball coach Sandra Kay Yow. Coach Yow passed away in 2009 after a hard-fought, 22-year battle with breast cancer. She was rightfully inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, and her legacy in basketball and cancer research will live on forever.
Reniya Kelly got things going early for North Carolina, scoring the Tar Heels’ first eight points and 10 of their first 12. The standout sophomore continued her hot streak, finishing with 23 points on a blistering 50% shooting from the field.
The most impressive part of North Carolina’s victory was that it came almost entirely without Alyssa Ustby — UNC’s leader in scoring, rebounding, and assists. Ustby looked like she tweaked her ankle trying to save a rebound out of bounds, and she left the game at the 7:25 mark in the first quarter, heading to the locker room. She never returned to the game. The fact that UNC pulled off a top-10 win without Ustby is incredibly impressive.
NC State’s athleticism and rebounding really punished UNC early on. The Wolfpack dominated on the glass, and it felt like they were the first to most 50/50 balls. NC State won the rebound battle 55-35, while also grabbing ten more offensive rebounds than UNC. Despite the disparity on the boards, UNC stuck together and won a gritty game with strong team defense. This game was a slugfest between two heavyweights.
North Carolina finished the first half up 30-23, and they closed the half on an emphatic 13-0 run.
Lanie Grant opened up the second half scoring for the Tar Heels, as the true freshman buried a big three to put UNC up 33-23. The North Carolina faithful also got free cookies with two missed Wolfpack free throws.
A blatant miscall went against UNC at the end of the third quarter, temporarily shifting the momentum and stalling the game. The refs awarded NC State an and-1 opportunity off an inbound play with 0.9 seconds. There was no contact on the shot, and even the announcers disagreed with the call. If there was a foul, it should have been on the floor, well before the shot.
NC State went on a tear in the fourth quarter, exploding for a 10-0 run. The Wolfpack led 60-54 with under 3 minutes to go. Lexi Donarski hit a big three to stop the bleeding, before NC State answered immediately with a three of their own. But not to be outdone, Kelly instantly buried a three for UNC on the other end, in a back-and-forth exchange from deep.
The Wolfpack finished at the rim with 1:30 remaining, giving them a 65-60 lead.
From this point on, Grant was enormous for North Carolina in clutch-time. She was fearless on both sides of the ball in the fourth quarter. In just a 35-second span, Grant knocked down two big free throws, stepped in to take a charge and finished on a crafty layup in the lane. UNC now only trailed by one, 65-64.
With under 40 seconds to go, North Carolina put together a huge defensive stand. Maria Gakdeng grabbed the defensive rebound with just 12 seconds left, as UNC called timeout. Out of the timeout, Grace Townsend dribbled the ball the length of the court with a full head of steam. She made a quick crossover at the three-point line and was fouled on a layup attempt with 5 seconds left on the game clock. With ice in her veins, Townsend knocked down both free throws, giving UNC the 66-65 lead.
As one of the best defensive teams in the country, North Carolina put together a signature final defensive stand, not allowing NC State to get a shot off. The Wolfpack tried to draw contact, but UNC stayed disciplined in legal guarding position. The Tar Heels closed out their win on a 6-0 run.
North Carolina is a true national powerhouse, improving to 23-4 on the season. The Tar Heels take on Syracuse in their next game on Thursday.