University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
WBB Staves Off Florida State, Advances To ACC Semifinal
March 7, 2025 | Women's Basketball
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Pulling together as a team for all 40 minutes, No. 14 North Carolina held off a gritty No. 22 Florida State team, 60-56, to win the 2025 Ally ACC Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal from First Horizon Coliseum on Friday. The Tar Heels advance to their first ACC Tournament semifinal since 2014.
Collecting a season-high 53 rebounds, North Carolina (27-5, 13-4 ACC) fought past Florida State (23-8, 13-5 ACC) to defeat the Seminoles for the first time since the 2022 season. In a total team effort, four Tar Heels recorded double-figures in scoring with two earning double-digits in rebounds.
Earning her 10th double-double of the year, Alyssa Ustby tied a team-high with 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to match her career-high. Ustby also paced Carolina with a team-high five assists. Joining Ustby in cleaning up off the glass, Maria Gakdeng tied her career-high with 16 rebounds and added seven points.
Draining two threes, Lexi Donarski scored 12 points for her fifth consecutive game in double-figures. Coming back from injury after missing the last three games, Reniya Kelly looked back to form with 11 points including six in the fourth quarter. All over the court for Carolina, Indya Nivar tallied 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a team-high two steals.
Limiting Florida State to an early scoring drought, Carolina started out action on a 10-0 run. Controlling the Seminoles from the inside, while six Tar Heels found the bucket on the opposite end, Carolina jumped out to grab a double-digit lead in the opening frame. Knocking down three triples allowed the Tar Heels to take a 22-12 lead through one.
The Seminoles flipped the script, beginning to light it up on offense while slowing the Tar Heels down. Finding itself scoreless for over three minutes, Carolina struggled to slow down the Seminoles who took off on a 10-0 run. A layup from Nivar broke the drought, yet the Tar Heels were held to only five points in the quarter as Florida State led 31-27 at the break.
Beginning the second half re-energized, Carolina ran out with a 7-0 run to grab its first lead since early on in the second. Controlling the tempo, the Tar Heels battled to maintain their advantage as a Gakdeng layup put Carolina up by five with time dwindling in the third. The Seminoles shot back with one more field goal before time expired in the quarter, as UNC led 46-42 with one frame remaining.
Prepared to go back-and-forth in the final stretch, a short Carolina scoring drought allowed Florida State to meet the Tar Heels at 48 all. The duo of Ustby and Kelly carried UNC to pull ahead by four with under four remaining. With the Seminoles tying the Tar Heels at 54, Reniya Kelly shot back with back-to-back buckets to place Carolina in prime position with 20 seconds left on the clock. Despite Florida State making its way to the free throw line, it was Lanie Grant at the opposite end with two makes to ensure a Carolina victory at 60-56.
The Tar Heels live to see another day in Greensboro, heading to the ACC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday at noon ET. Carolina will face off against the winner between Georgia Tech and NC State tomorrow on ESPN2.
