UNC Drops Fourth In A Row, 93-75 at Boston College

Sunday, February 16

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Noon

North Carolina

16-10,7-8ACC

Boston College

15-10,8-6ACC

North Carolina

Boston College

Shayla Bennett led UNC with 17 points in Sunday's loss. (Photo courtesy of BC Athletics)

February 16, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The North Carolina women's basketball team dropped its fourth-straight game Sunday at Boston College, falling to the Eagles 93-75 at Conte Forum. The Tar Heels are now 16-10 on the season, 7-8 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. BC improved to 15-10 (8-6).

The Eagles' 93 points and the game-high 29 points by sophomore forward Taylor Soule both were highs against the Tar Heels this season. BC shot 55.6 percent from the field, the second-highest percentage by a Tar Heel opponent, led by Soule's 11-for-13 day.

"It was just such a defensive breakdown," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "It was nice to see our offense come alive – I thought we were aggressive and we attacked in spots – but defensively we were undisciplined and that bothered us throughout the game."

Five Tar Heels scored in double figures, led by senior guard Shayla Bennett's 17. Madinah Muhammad scored 16, Taylor Koenen 15 and Janelle Bailey 10. Junior Leah Church came off the bench to contribute 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the field.

Bennett also had a team-high nine rebounds, one shy of equaling her career high.

UNC shot 83.3 percent from the foul line for the game. It's the eighth time this season the Tar Heels have shot 80 percent or better, but the first time since the game at NC State on Jan. 26.

The Tar Heels earned their first lead of the game late in the first quarter and were up 15-14 after the first 10 minutes. BC took the lead early in the second quarter, but UNC again got out in front by one, 22-21, on a drive by Bennett with 6:45 to play in the half.

Boston College answered with a 6-0 run to go up 27-22 and the Tar Heels never led again, but were down just three at halftime, 36-33. It marked the 11^th time in 15 ACC games that UNC has trailed at the half.

Bailey didn't get her first field goal of the game until 3:04 remained in the half, but she had six points by the break and finished with 10.

BC scored 30 in the third quarter, the most by a Tar Heel opponent this season. The Eagles were up by 16 late in the third quarter following a 6-0 run, but the Tar Heels scored the final four points of the period to close the gap to 12, 66-54, going into the final 10 minutes. UNC got as close as six in the fourth quarter after a three by Bennett made it 70-64 with 7:47 remaining. But Soule scored the game's next five points and the BC lead was double digits for the rest of the game.

The Eagles' total of 57 points in the second half was 10 more than the previous opponent high, 47 by Virginia in the teams' second meeting of the season, a win by the Tar Heels.

The Tar Heels have an open date in the ACC schedule this week and don't play on Thursday. They return to action on Sunday at Wake Forest.