University of North Carolina Athletics
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NC State
Watts Nets 30 In Loss To NC State
February 21, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Watts set a new career high with 30 points and registered her sixth double-double in the process to lead North Carolina (14-15, 4-10 Atlantic Coast Conference). She also had five steals, three blocks and two assists. Destinee Walker and Jamie Cherry added 13 points apiece.
NC State (18-9, 9-5) was led by Miah Spencer's 25 points and 10 assists. Backcourt mate Dominique Wilson had 19 points and Jennifer Mathurin notched a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards.
The Tar Heels made a season-high 12 three-pointers, two shy of the program record, but a 34-3 Wolfpack run that bridged halftime was too much for Carolina to overcome in the annual Play 4 Kay game to help promote awareness in the fight against breast cancer.
Watts was nearly unstoppable for three quarters, scoring all 30 of her points in that time frame. She made 6-of-13 three-pointers and was 10-of-14 from the free throw line.
She put on a show in the first quarter scoring 11 of Carolina's 24 points for an 11-point, 24-13, lead over its arch rivals from Raleigh. The three-time ACC Rookie of the Week knocked down a trio of three-pointers to lead the way early for the Tar Heels.
Carolina was 5-of-9 from downtown in the first quarter, while NC State was 0-of-9.
The solid outside shooting continued in the beginning of the second quarter for Carolina. A fourth 3-pointer by Watts increased UNC's lead to 36-21 midway through the period.
Summers picked up her third foul immediately after Watts' bucket, and would sit the remainder of the half. Carolina went scoreless the final five minutes, 40 seconds, allowing NC State to close the period on an 18-0 run to take a 39-36 lead at intermission.
NC State continued to build its lead to as many as 18 points, 61-43, on a Spencer three-pointer with 3:12 on the third-quarter clock. However, Watts took the game over again with 11 points the remainder of the stanza to get the Heels within shouting distance, 64-55, of the Wolfpack.
An early three from Walker in the fourth quarter had UNC within 64-58, but NC State was able to gain a double-figure lead for most of the final period.
North Carolina plays its final road game of the season at Virginia on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Charlottesville, Virginia. The game will be televised on the Regional Sports Network and ESPN3.
