University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Ohio State
Heels Outlast No. 15 Ohio State, 57-54
November 29, 2012 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL --- With No. 22 North Carolina trailing No. 15 Ohio State by one late in regulation, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt took the ball from OSU's Darryce Moore and went the distance for a go-ahead layup with just 41 seconds to go.
Then she did it again.
Ruffin-Pratt scored four of her 11 points in the final minute -- including a stolen in-bounds pass and layup with 27 seconds remaining -- to help UNC past Ohio State, 57-54, Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Xylina McDaniel and Waltiea Rolle each had 11 for the Tar Heels (7-0), who led by as many as 16 in the second half before a furoius Buckeye rally.
Tayler Hill had a game-high 24 for Ohio State (4-2), who went on an 20-3 run to take a 48-47 lead with 3:33 left.
After Ameryst Alston's 3 gave the Buckeyes their first lead since it was 23-22, McDaniel responded with a 3-point play on the following possession. Another McDaniel free throw made it 51-50 with 2:21 left before Ashley Adams and Hill scored on consecutive plays to give Ohio State a 3-point lead with under 90 seconds to go.
McDaniel's driving bucket cut the Buckeye lead to one before Ruffin-Pratt's heroics won it for Carolina.
Ohio State had a chance to force overtime in the game's final possession, but Hill's long 3 missed the mark and Ruffin-Pratt corralled the rebound to end it.
UNC will face a second top-20 opponent in just four days Sunday when the Tar Heels face No. 16 Tennessee in Knoxville at 1 p.m.
