Tar Heels Improve to 22-5 With Win At Virginia

Thursday, February 24

Charlottesville, Va.

7 PM

North Carolina

Virginia

Anya Poole led the Tar Heels with 10 rebounds in Thursday's win at Virginia.

Photo by: Keith Lucas

February 24, 2022 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – With hot shooting early and a balanced attack throughout, the No. 18 North Carolina women's basketball team earned a 68-57 win at Virginia Thursday evening to improve to 22-5 overall and 12-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Four Tar Heels finished in double figures led by sophomore Deja Kelly with 16. Although UNC was 1-14 from three-point range and hit just two of 12 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, the Tar Heels still finished at 47.3 percent shooting for the game, the highest percentage of the season against ACC play.

Led by sophomore Anya Poole's 10 boards, the Tar Heels outrebounded Virginia 36-33. It marked UNC's seventh game in a row winning the rebounding battle, the longest stretch in ACC play since 2013-14.

The Tar Heels used an early 10-0 run to jump out to a 12-2 lead in the first four minutes of play and never trailed. By five minutes in, all five starters scored and they would all finish with at least eight points.

Last road game of the regular season ✅ Another win ✅ Highlights from tonight's game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KJxG140Hmt
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) February 25, 2022

It looked as though the Tar Heels would hold an opponent to single-digits in the opening period for the 12^th time this season, but Carolina was called for a foul just before the buzzer and Mir McLean made two free throws to put the Cavaliers in double digits and make it 30-11 heading into the second quarter after UNC's highest scoring total in ACC play this season.

The Tar Heels led by 17 at halftime, 47-30, after shooting 60.6 percent for the half. It was the team's best percentage in a first half this season and second best in any half, trailing just a 64.7 shooting percentage in the second half against UNC Asheville.

Carolina cooled off in the third quarter, hitting just one of seven shots down the stretch as Virginia closed within 14, 58-44, at the break. The Tar Heels didn't score in the final 2:31 of the period with four turnovers in that span.

Virginia used a 7-0 run to cut the margin to nine points with four minutes to play, 60-51. The Tar Heels shot just 16.7 percent in the fourth quarter and were one for nine down the stretch but held on for the double-digit win.

The Carolina defense forced Virginia into 23 turnovers, the 12^th time this season an opponent has committed 20+.

UNC now has just one game remaining in the regular season, on Sunday against Duke. Tipoff at Carmichael Arena is 4 p.m. For tickets, click here.