WBB’s Comeback Bid Falls Short At No. 11 Duke, 72-68

Sunday, February 15

Durham, N.C.

1 PM

North Carolina

21-6,10-4ACC

#11 Duke

19-6,14-0ACC

North Carolina

Duke

February 15, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. – Traveling down the road to longtime rival Duke for the first of two scheduled meetings this season, No. 21 North Carolina could not catch up on offense in the second half, falling to the Blue Devils 72-68, at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Carolina (21-6, 10-4 ACC) dominated the lane, scoring 46 paint points while No. 11 Duke (19-6, 14-0 ACC) capitalized at the charity stripe with 17 made free throws.

In true rivalry fashion, the contest went through 16 lead changes, making it a battle until time expired. The Blue Devils went on a crucial 13-0 run at the end of the first half to give Duke the lead, one they held until the end.

Ciera Toomey led the offensive efforts with 14 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Behind her was Indya Nivar with 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists. The duo of Nyla Brooks and Nyla Harris each notched 10 points. The balanced scoring effort marked North Carolina's 24th game this season with at least three players in double figures, the second-highest total in the ACC.

As a team, North Carolina posted 19 assists, doing anything they could to find the open Tar Heel on the floor. Elina Aarnisalo and Lanie Grant had five each, tying Grant's career-high and Aarnisalo's season-best.

Early, North Carolina was looking inside for success and found it in Harris working the lane with her pivot foot to get the Tar Heels on the board. Harris was key in the action in the first five minutes of play, disrupting the Duke offense with a steal on the Blue Devil fast break, which turned into two points on the other end. Three-point leader Grant stepped up and hit one from deep to tie it up with Duke at 11. Defensively, North Carolina forced multiple turnovers in transition to set up a Blue Devil scoring drought. Off the bench, Taissa Queiroz took it coast to coast to take a narrow lead. After the first quarter, the Blue Devils held a 19-18 advantage.

Offensively, the second quarter was a slow start for both teams in blue. Harris continued to work down low and dominate the paint. Through the first half, the contest went through 16 lead changes, emphasizing the battle on the floor. Nivar used her lone three-point shot of the day to propel the Tar Heel offense to a 7-0 run, pushing a 31-28 Carolina lead. On the inside, North Carolina dominated scoring 22 paint points, while Duke had eight in the first half. In the final few minutes of the first half, Duke heated up from beyond the arc, shooting a 57.1% clip from deep in the quarter, leading to a 13-0 run to end the half. At the intermission, the Blue Devils held a 41-33 lead.

Out of the break, Duke committed multiple turnovers and fouls to give North Carolina the opportunity to chip away at the deficit. After multiple misses at the rim for the Tar Heels, Aarnisalo sparked the offense with a pull-up jumper. On the floor, quick hands helped the defense force a Blue Devil scoring drought. Below the rim, North Carolina utilized the Duke double-team to find the open player for the easy put-back. At the end of the third, North Carolina took advantage of the multiple Duke defensive miscues to chip away at the score. Entering the fourth frame, the Blue Devils held a 58-54 lead.

Into the fourth, Toomey got things started inside, continuing to dominate the lane to score. After a scoring dry spell, Grant fired a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two with over seven minutes to play. Duke responded with two quick scores to extend its lead. Aarnisalo continued to direct traffic and find open Tar Heels, dishing out multiple assists to attempt the comeback. Late in the contest, Brooks nailed a three-point shot to pull it within one score with 15 seconds remaining. Carolina would be forced to foul to stop the clock, where Duke made a free throw to extend the advantage. The last-second shot did not fall for North Carolina, leading to a Blue Devil victory, 72-68.

The Tar Heels remain on the road, traveling to Blacksburg for a Thursday night showdown at Virginia Tech. Tip from Cassell Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. ET as the Tar Heels square off against the Hokies on ACC Network.