University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Tops Ireland, 75-60
August 2, 2016 | Women's Basketball
TALLAGHT, Ireland - Four players scored in doubles figures, led by Paris Kea's 18 points, in North Carolina's 75-60 victory over the Ireland Senior National Team on Tuesday night at the National Basketball Arena outside Dublin, Ireland.
Along with Kea's 18, Hillary Fuller had 13 points, followed by Destinee Walker's 12 and 10 from Stephanie Watts.
Thanks to five points from Fuller, the Tar Heels pulled ahead 11-2 early on in this exhibition. Ireland got within 11-10 by scoring the next eight, but a three-pointer from Taylor Koenen pushed Carolina in front, 24-18, after the opening quarter.
Koenen converted an old-fashioned three-point play to begin the second stanza, and Kea followed with a layup on the fast-break that gave UNC a 31-18 lead.
Rookie Alyssa Okoene saw her first extended minutes in this trip through Europe and promptly responded by scoring her clubs final seven points of the second period, giving Carolina a 39-29 edge going into halftime.
UNC was 12-of-16 from the free throw line, with Okoene going an impressive 5-for-6 from the stripe in the first half.
Ireland climbed back into the game and trailed by only seven, 53-46, after three quarters.
Clinical passing by the Heels! pic.twitter.com/riaPIkcvK7
— UNC Women's Hoops (@uncwbb) August 2, 2016
Foul trouble plagued the Tar Heels in the late stages of the game and Kea ultimately picked up her fifth foul midway through the fourth. But Watts and Walker lifted up her teammate by knocking down three-straight three-pointers to push Carolina's lead to 71-57.
Carolina continues its excursion through Ireland in Killarney. The Tar Heels will face this same Ireland squad on Saturday in Cork for their final game of the trip.
