Following the UNC women's basketball program's ACC Tournament victory over Boston College, Alyssa Ustby didn't shy away from making it known that the Tar Heels wanted another crack at Florida State.
We all know how the regular season meeting ended. Fortunately, the rematch ended in the Tar Heels' favor.
In a back-and-forth affair, it was North Carolina who came away with the victory on Friday morning in Greensboro. The win clinches a spot in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Saturday for the team in Carolina Blue.
The Tar Heels got off to a very hot start, holding a 10-point lead through a quarter of play. However, the second quarter was not as friendly, as North Carolina missed each of its first 14 shots of the frame and only scored five points in the quarter as a whole.
While Makayla Timpson was a handful to deal with in the post (give her credit, she blocked a staggering eight shots!), North Carolina wasn't shying away from the challenge.
As we all expected, the game was knotted up leading up to the final minute of action. In her first game back following an injury, Reniya Kelly sank a jump shot to give the Tar Heels a two-point lead with 1:04 remaining.
North Carolina forced a stop on the other end, giving them an opportunity to put the game out of reach. Who else but Kelly would be the one to hit the clutch shot, putting the Tar Heels up four with 20 seconds left in regulation.
After two free throws from Ta'Niya Latson, the Seminoles were forced to foul, as freshman Lanie Grant went to the line in hopes of extending the Tar Heels' lead once again.
The freshman showed the ice in her veins, draining both free throws that ultimately sealed the deal.
Four Tar Heels scored in double-figures, including 12 from Alyssa Ustby. The Rochester, Minnesota native put together an insane performance, recording 18 rebounds to go along with five assists as well.
Maria Gakdeng was also a huge asset on the glass, recording 16 rebounds of her own. Led by the duo of Gakdeng and Ustby, the Tar Heels out-rebounded Florida State by a rather large margin (53-40).
What a huge victory for the UNC women's basketball program. Sure, advancing to the semi-finals of the ACC Tournament is great (especially for the Tar Heels NCAA Tournament resume), but to earn some revenge against Florida State is something this group definitely wanted and made happen.
Now, the goal is to come back tomorrow and find a way to advance to the ACC Tournament championship game on Sunday.