WBB Rallies In The Fourth Quarter To Beat UVA

Thursday, January 12

Charlottesville, Va.

7 PM

North Carolina

11-5,2-3ACC

Virginia

13-4,2-4ACC

North Carolina

Virginia

Kennedy Todd-Williams scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and finished with a career-high 21.

Photo by: Keith Lucas

January 12, 2023 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 22 North Carolina used a 22-2 run over the final 6:29 of the game to beat Virginia 70-59 and earn an Atlantic Coast Conference women's basketball road win Thursday night at John Paul Jones Arena. Juniors Kennedy Todd-Williams and Deja Kelly led UNC with 21 points each as the Tar Heels improved to 11-5 overall and 2-3 in ACC play.

"I'm really proud of this group and how we came together in that fourth quarter," said Todd-Williams, who scored 11 points in the fourth quarter alone en route to a new career scoring high. "We were down but we were able to stick together and pull out the win."

Alyssa Ustby also hit double figures with 15 points. She led UNC with seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks.

Virginia (13-4, 2-4 ACC) had not lost a home game this season and led by nine with 6:46 remaining before UNC's late run.

Carolina led early as Virginia missed its first four baskets and didn't hit a field goal until a three-pointer by Taylor Valladay at the 5:39 mark. That shot gave the Cavaliers a 5-4 lead, their first of the game. They held onto that lead for the rest of the quarter and were up 15-12 after one.

In the second, Carolina took a 21-20 lead on a three by Kelly midway through the period. The teams continued to trade the lead and UNC held a three-point advantage at halftime, 30-27. The Tar Heels were shooting 36 percent from the field but stayed in the game with free throws, hitting 9-11 in the first half.

Virginia's Sam Brunelle hit a three just 51 seconds into the third quarter to tie the game then Carole Miller added a bucket to give Virginia a quick two-point lead. The home team continued to surge and eventually led by 11, 51-40, after a three by Miller with just over a minute to play in the third period.

Kelly went to the line for a pair of free throws with 34 seconds to play in the third to get the margin back into single digits at 51-42 heading into the fourth quarter.

UNC took control in the final period, outscoring Virginia 28-8 to take home the win. After the Tar Heels had regained the lead and were scrapping for breathing room, freshman Paulina Paris, – who was 4-4 from the foul line but hadn't yet made a field goal in the game – nailed a three to put Carolina up by five, 64-59, with 1:52 remaining. UNC closed the game on a 9-0 run to claim its first ACC road win of the season.

UVA won the rebounding battle 48-37 and led 14-2 in second-chance points, but the Tar Heels outscored Virginia 26-14 in the paint.

UNC and Virginia lead the ACC in taking care of the ball, with Carolina in first with an average of 13 turnovers a game and the Cavaliers second with 13.6. But both surpassed those numbers on Thursday, with Carolina committing 11 turnovers in the first half and finishing with 14 while Virginia committed 21, which the Tar Heels turned into 18 points.

Valladay led Virginia with 16 points and Brunelle finished with 15 points on five three-pointers.