When the UNC women's basketball program recently defeated Louisville, a game in which the Tar Heels led for essentially less than two minutes of game action, none of us complained one bit.
Well, we got it back on the final day of the regular season, and it flat-out stinks.
In a game in which North Carolina held the lead for the majority of the game clock, Virginia came out on the winning side, spoiling the Tar Heels' 'Senior Day.' The loss not only leaves a sour taste heading into postseason action, but the Tar Heels seeding in the ACC Tournament is yet to be determined, as the double-bye might not be in the cards for a banged up North Carolina team.
Playing once again without Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly, it didn't seem like the Tar Heels would need them. After the Cavaliers scored the first four points of the game, Lexi Donarski, in what could be her final game at Carmichael Arena, went on an 8-0 run of her own, giving North Carolina a lead they'd hold on to for quite some time.
As much as North Carolina tried to pull away, Virginia wouldn't let them. Typically a team that shoots around the 30% mark from three-point range this season, the Cavaliers put on a second half display from beyond-the-arc, knocking down eight of 13 attempts from deep.
The momentum shifted a little past the midway point of the fourth quarter. Play was stopped as officials went to the monitor to check on a play to see if there was an intentional foul on Grace Townsend. As we all saw in the replay, Townsend barely touched the defender with the tip of her finger (it was a great acting job), as play would resume after a rather lengthly review.
From that point on, North Carolina lost all its rhythm.
The final minute was a back-and-forth affair. Trailing by one, Indya Nivar's shot in the paint was tipped and recovered by Virginia, as two ensuing free throws secured the win for the visiting Cavaliers.
Maria Gakdeng was simply outstanding, scoring a career-high 25 points on 9 of 10 shooting from the floor. She also added 9 rebounds to go along with five assists and two steals, certainly making the most of her final regular season game on her home floor.
Donarski paced the offense with 18 points of her own while Nivar chipped in 12 points in the losing effort. As a team, North Carolina struggled mightily from three-point range, connecting on just six of 29 attempts (four which were made by Donarski).
A frustrating loss hopefully turns into some motivation for the UNC women's basketball program as postseason play begins. The hope is that they will be healthy for their trip to Charlotte and will come out with a vengeance as they face a very competitive field of teams in this challenging tournament.