Thursday, January 31
Chapel Hill, N.C.
7:00 PM
North Carolina
13-9, 4-4ACC
91
vs
90
Georgia Tech
13-8, 3-5ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Georgia Tech
15
22
25
28
90
North Carolina
24
24
17
26
91
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Heels Top Jackets To Extend Winning Streak
January 31, 2019 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL - Janelle Bailey's free throw with 0.9 seconds left in regulation sealed a third-straight North Carolina victory, 91-90, over Georgia Tech on Thursday in Atlantic Coast Conference women's basketball action.
Paris Kea, the reigning national player of the week, scored 29 points for North Carolina (13-9, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference). She put the Tar Heels up 90-87 with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Yellow Jackets answered with Elizabeth Balogun converting three free throws with two seconds to go after Stephanie Watts fouled out when she hit Balogun's arm on a three-point attempt.
UNC advanced the ball into the front court with a timeout. Taylor Koenen (eight points) found Bailey in the paint, who turned to the hoop and was fouled. She knocked down the second free throw to secure the Tar Heels' fourth win in the last five games.
Balogun's 35 points ties Watts' effort against UNCW on Dec. 5, 2018, for the most points scored in a game this season by an ACC player.
Kea, who had 30 points and handed out 10 assists in Sunday's 78-73 win over No. 1 Notre Dame, is averaging 28.3 points in the three-game winning streak.
Bailey added 20 points and six rebounds, Watts drilled four more three-pointers to give her an ACC-leading total of 70 on the year. She finished with 18 points, seven boards and five assists. Shayla Bennett had 10 points behind a trio of 3-pointers.
Carolina tied its program record with 14 triples on 28 attempts.
Lorela Cubaj had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds for Georgia Tech, who fell to 13-8, 3-5 in the league. Lotta-Mai Lahtinen and Chanin Scott added 14 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench.
Georgia Tech took its first lead of the game with with 50 seconds to play, but it was Kea who once again had the answer as she canned a jumper for an 88-87 lead. The reigning ACC Player of the Week got off to a slow start by missing all five of her shots in the first period, but she scored a dozen in the second frame and exploded for 14 in the critical fourth quarter.
Carolina took a 10-2 lead in the opening minutes of the game behind consecutive triples from Bennett and Watts, but it was a fast-break bucket from Watts that vaulted the Heels to a 24-15 lead after 10 minutes.
Kea knocked down back-to-back triples to put UNC up 42-39. Leah Church matched Kea with consecutive three-pointers later in the period to see Carolina take a 48-37 lead into halftime.
The victory marks the first time Carolina has won a game when surrendering 90 or more points since a 96-93 double overtime win over Rutgers on Dec. 4, 2014, and the first time in regulation since a 116-92 victory against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 27, 1989.
Carolina looks to take down another top-10 ranked team on Sunday at No. 7 NC State in Raleigh, N.C. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Paris Kea, the reigning national player of the week, scored 29 points for North Carolina (13-9, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference). She put the Tar Heels up 90-87 with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Yellow Jackets answered with Elizabeth Balogun converting three free throws with two seconds to go after Stephanie Watts fouled out when she hit Balogun's arm on a three-point attempt.
UNC advanced the ball into the front court with a timeout. Taylor Koenen (eight points) found Bailey in the paint, who turned to the hoop and was fouled. She knocked down the second free throw to secure the Tar Heels' fourth win in the last five games.
Balogun's 35 points ties Watts' effort against UNCW on Dec. 5, 2018, for the most points scored in a game this season by an ACC player.
Kea, who had 30 points and handed out 10 assists in Sunday's 78-73 win over No. 1 Notre Dame, is averaging 28.3 points in the three-game winning streak.
Bailey added 20 points and six rebounds, Watts drilled four more three-pointers to give her an ACC-leading total of 70 on the year. She finished with 18 points, seven boards and five assists. Shayla Bennett had 10 points behind a trio of 3-pointers.
Carolina tied its program record with 14 triples on 28 attempts.
Lorela Cubaj had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds for Georgia Tech, who fell to 13-8, 3-5 in the league. Lotta-Mai Lahtinen and Chanin Scott added 14 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench.
Georgia Tech took its first lead of the game with with 50 seconds to play, but it was Kea who once again had the answer as she canned a jumper for an 88-87 lead. The reigning ACC Player of the Week got off to a slow start by missing all five of her shots in the first period, but she scored a dozen in the second frame and exploded for 14 in the critical fourth quarter.
Carolina took a 10-2 lead in the opening minutes of the game behind consecutive triples from Bennett and Watts, but it was a fast-break bucket from Watts that vaulted the Heels to a 24-15 lead after 10 minutes.
Kea knocked down back-to-back triples to put UNC up 42-39. Leah Church matched Kea with consecutive three-pointers later in the period to see Carolina take a 48-37 lead into halftime.
The victory marks the first time Carolina has won a game when surrendering 90 or more points since a 96-93 double overtime win over Rutgers on Dec. 4, 2014, and the first time in regulation since a 116-92 victory against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 27, 1989.
Carolina looks to take down another top-10 ranked team on Sunday at No. 7 NC State in Raleigh, N.C. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Team Stats
GT
NC
FG%
.485
.492
3FG%
.333
.500
FT%
.783
.679
RB
39
24
TO
16
12
STL
5
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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