University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NC State
Rountree Seals Comeback Win At NC State
January 23, 2015 | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. - Brittany Rountree went a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line in the final 24 seconds to give No. 12 North Carolina a 67-63 come-from-behind victory over NC State on Thursday night.
The 100th meeting in the series got off to a slow start, with each club only making one shot in the first eight minutes. But it ended with a flurry as Rountree sealed the victory for the Tar Heels, who picked up victory No. 49 in the most prolific series in ACC women's basketball history.
State's Len'Nique Brown did everything she could to keep her team in the game, including a three-point play with seven seconds left that got the Pack within 63-62.
Danielle Butts led North Carolina (17-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) with 12 points, while Stephanie Mavunga tossed in 11 points and Allisha Gray notched her sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Trailing the first 29 minutes, Jessica Washington's three-pointer gave Carolina its first lead of the game, 39-38, capping a 14-3 run after the Heels trailed by as many as 10 points early in the second half.
Tied 41-all moments later, NC State used a quick 8-2 spurt to reclaim momentum and the lead, 49-43, on a Jennifer Mathurin (14 points) drive to the hoop.
Still knotted at 54-all with 3:33 left, Mavunga converted a jumper and then a layup that put UNC up for good.
Despite falling behind by 13 points and shooting 20.5 percent in the first half, Washington connected from distance late in the half to close the Carolina deficit to 26-21 heading to intermission.
Brown led NC State (12-7, 3-3) with a game-high 21 points, while Dominique Wilson had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Carolina hosts No. 15 Duke on Sunday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. Rameses' birthday bash will include FREE Carolina Blue 'Beat Duke' tank tops for the first 400 UNC students. ACC rally towels & Rameses posters for the first 2,500 fans and halftime will feature Mascot Mania.
