University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
FSU Runs Past Carolina
February 14, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Freshman Stephanie Watts enjoyed another strong game for North Carolina (14-13, 4-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) with a team-leading 19 points and nine rebounds. Classmate Destinee Walker chipped in with 18 points, while Hillary Summers recorded 12 points and nine boards.
Florida State (21-4, 11-1) won its 31st straight game at home with a balanced scoring attack. Leticia Romero and Emiah Bingley each had 15 points, 12 by Ivey Slaughter and 11 came from Shakayla Thomas and 10 from Kai James.
A sloppy start allowed Florida State to gain an early 10-0 lead, but Watts knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, Walker added one and Watts made another in four-straight possessions to get the Tar Heels right back in the game down just 15-12.
However, the Seminoles closed the quarter on a 10-0 run and led 25-12 over Carolina.
After not making a two-point bucket in the first quarter, Summers did most of her damage in the paint area with 12 points in the second stanza to help rally the Tar Heels. Within two points of FSU multiple times, the Heels finally tied the game at 33-33 on Walker's fast-break triple.
The Seminoles pounded the paint in the final two minutes to take a 41-35 lead at the half
Thanks to a three-pointer from Jamie Cherry early in the third quarter, the Tar Heels remained within an arms length of the Seminoles, but a rare four-point play from Bingley and a pair of three's from Romero and Bingley swung the lead to 60-46 in favor of Florida State, who saw its lead grow to over 30 points late in the fourth quarter.
UNC did make nine three-pointers, its second most this season to the 11 converted against USC Upstate on Dec. 16. Walker and Watts both made four apiece for the Heels.
North Carolina hosts Pitt on Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.
