University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia
Virginia Edges Carolina, 72-68
February 26, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Destinee Walker scored a team-leading 18 points to pace North Carolina (14-16, 4-11 Atlantic Coast Conference). Hillary Summers had 16 points, and Stephanie Watts notched her seventh double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jamie Cherry had 12.
Mikayla Vinson led Virginia (16-13, 6-9) with 23 points, while Breyana Mason had 13 points, and J'Kyra Brown and Faith Randolph added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Carolina made five of its first 10 shots to take an early 13-6 lead over the Cavaliers. The strong start was buyoed by the Heels making all but one of their first four shots from beyond the three-point arc - one each from Cherry, Walker and Watts.
All five starters scored for Carolina in taking a 16-12 lead after 10 minutes.
Virginia chipped away and took its first lead, 22-21, on a Brown three-pointer in front of the UNC bench with 5:42 on the second-quarter clock. Walker's three-pointer put UNC in front 26-23, but a mini 6-0 spurt to close the half put Virginia in the lead 29-26 at intermission.
The Cavaliers increased their lead to as many as eight, 40-32, but Carolina pieced together a 10-0 run to take the lead back, 42-40, on a pair of free throws from Cherry.
Watts tied the game early in the fourth, 47-47, on a jumper from the free throw line, but Virginia would later lead by as many as eight, 62-54, with 4:28 to go.
However, Carolina fought back again to get within 64-63 on an off-balance runner from Walker, but could not get any closer in snapping a six-game winning streak over the Cavaliers.
North Carolina closes out the regular season against Duke on Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN3.
