The UNC women's basketball program appeared destined to pull away.
Taking an 11-point lead into the final quarter, the Tar Heels looked to take control of their matchup with Stanford for good. However, the Cardinals had other plans, making it a nail-biting finish out on the West Coast.
Fortunately, the women's team was able to finish the deal, unlike the men's squad who lost to Stanford on a buzzer-beater back on January 18.
The UNC women's basketball program was able to finish their two-game West Coast trip with another victory, heading back to the east coast with a 69-67 victory over Stanford. With the win, North Carolina reaches the 20-win plateau, marking their fastest run to 20 victories since the 2013-2014 season.
One of the major storylines for North Carolina in this one was their excellent shooting from beyond-the-arc. Led by four Alyssa Ustby three-pointers, the Tar Heels connected on 9 of 17 attempts from deep (52.9%), as they were highly effective in this area.
The final six minutes were nerve-wrecking as Stanford crawled their way back into the game. They would tie the game with 3:52 remaining, one that would last just seven seconds courtesy of a Reniya Kelly jump shot.
On North Carolina's ensuing possession, Kelly, who stumbled while dribbling, found a way to keep her dribble going, making a step back move which resulted in a three-point field goal. That bucket, and Kelly's 5-0 run, gave North Carolina control again, while a Lexi Donarski layup with 2:10 to go gave the Tar Heels a seven point lead that seemed to put the game out of reach.
However, Stanford once again had other plans, going on a 5-0 run of their own to once again cut the lead to just two.
While North Carolina didn't score over the final two minutes of regulation, they found a way to stop Stanford from tying the game to secure the victory.
Even though Courtney Banghart and her team would have loved to have cruised to victory, it's encouraging to see that this group was able to battle through adversity to hang on to victory. Now, the Tar Heels will have a week off to head back home before visiting Clemson for a Sunday afternoon battle to conclude their three-game road trip.