Louisville controlled the game essentially throughout.
While the Cardinals led on the scoreboard, the UNC women's basketball program hung around. Trailing 63-58 to 3:08 remaining, it was a true freshman who gave the Tar Heels the lead late.
Taliyah Henderson connected on a three-point field goal to cut the lead to two with 2:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. With just over a minute left, Henderson drained another three, giving the Tar Heels the lead.
Lanie Grant followed by making an acrobatic layup with 19 second left, as the UNC women's basketball program needed just one stop to secure a victory over the No. 22-ranked Cardinal.
However, the rest of the game ended up favoring Louisville, a trend that was common on Sunday afternoon in Carmichael Arena.
The Cardinals forced overtime and dominated the extra five minutes of play, knocking off the No. 12-ranked Tar Heels on their home floor for the first time since 2020. It serves as yet another potential Quad 1 victory opportunity for Courtney Banghart's team, who now fall to 9-3 on the year and 0-1 in conference play.
Free throws come back to haunt UNC
Leading by one with five seconds remaining, Indya Nivar went to the line with a chance to put the pressure on the Cardinals. The senior captain missed both free throws, which allowed Imari Berry to drive down the court and get foul with less than a second remaining in regulation.
Typically an above-average free-throw shooter, Berry missed the first but drained the second, forcing the overtime period in Chapel Hill.
Overtime Woes
Lousiville dominated the final five minutes of action, holding the UNC women's basketball program scoreless. A pair of turnovers by Nivar (who struggled down the stretch in this one), and a wide-open missed layup by Reniya Kelly were turning points in this extra period, a loss that the Tar Heels will look back on and realize they squandered an opportunity to claim a big-time victory.
What's Next?
The UNC women's basketball program will close out non-conference action this week with two games at home. UNC Wilmington rolls into town on December 17 for an 8:00 PM showdown, while Charleston Southern will visit Chapel Hill for a Sunday afternoon clash on December 21.