University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
19-5,8-3ACC
Clemson
16-8,7-5ACC
Grant, Harris Lead No. 25 UNC Past Clemson for Sixth Straight Win
February 5, 2026 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Led by the dynamic duo of Lanie Grant and Nyla Harris, North Carolina Women's Basketball defeated Clemson 53-44 on Thursday night in Carmichael Arena to pick up its sixth straight win.
No. 25 North Carolina (19-5, 8-3 ACC) dominated down low with 32 of the 53 points against Clemson (16-8, 7-5 ACC). The Tigers were only able to notch 10 points from the interior, and they were held to an ACC low in scoring.Â
Lanie Grant remains on a hot streak in the scoring column, posting 51 points over the course of the past three games. From behind the arc, Grant has shot a blistering 62.5% clip over the past three contests as well. Shooting effectively from both the lane and deep, Grant tallied 16 points, an assist, and a steal to guide the offense.
Nyla Harris added another double-double to her résumé, finishing with 17 points,10 rebounds, and two steals. She consistently drew contact and lived at the charity stripe, jump-starting the Tar Heel offense.Â
Indya Nivar, continuing her high-assist play, distributed the ball efficiently and matched her career high by delivering seven assists against Clemson. This marked her ninth game of the season with five or more assists, demonstrating her strong playmaking role.
All over the ball, Nyla Harris rejected a career-best four shots by besting her previous high of two. The freshman came through big in the final quarter, with a huge block as Clemson attempted to mount a comeback.
Defensively, North Carolina clamped down in the fourth, limiting the Tigers to 9.1% from the field, a season low for an ACC opponent in the fourth quarter. Overall, the Tar Heels held Clemson to a 26.5% clip from the field.Â
From the tip, North Carolina's defense came to play and held Clemson to multiple long possessions. Harris wasted no time and got to work in the paint, tallying eight of the thirteen first-quarter points for the Tar Heels. Multiple Tar Heels grabbed a steal while Ciera Toomey made her presence known with a huge block down low. North Carolina held the edge with a 13-12 lead after the first ten minutes of play.
Out of the stoppage, there was no stopping Grant from continuing to create plays in the lane. The Tigers found a rhythm to go on a 7-0 scoring run, while the Tar Heels found themselves in a scoring drought to fall behind in the scoring efforts. Nivar got the mid-range jumper to fall to get North Carolina back on track. Clemson's Rusne Augustinaite, who leads the ACC in three-point shots made, led the Tigers, hitting multiple to pace her team to an advantage. In the final minute of the first half, Grant created all kinds of space in the key to put up a bucket to cut the Tar Heel deficit to two, 24-22, heading into halftime.
Into the third, Clemson continued to shoot well from deep to keep the game close. Harris never let off the gas, battling in the paint to keep the deficit within reach. Grant went on to hit another from deep to silence the Clemson defense. Then shortly after, Brooks added to the action and picked up a three-point shot herself to give the Tar Heels the lead back. Nivarfacilitated much of the North Carolina offense in the third, tallying four assists in the frame. The Tar Heels found their offensive flow once again to go on an 8-0 run, shooting 53.3% from the field. Defensively, North Carolina forced a four-minute scoring drought on the Tigers to push the lead to 41-36 at the end of the third.Â
The North Carolina defense continued to work, holding Clemson to a seven-minute field goal drought to allow the Tar Heels to hold onto the lead in the fourth frame. Brooks and Elina Aarnisalo helped seal the deal with key baskets late in the fourth to clinch a 53-44 victory over the Tigers.Â
The Tar Heels take a quick trip up the road on Sunday, facing off against Wake Forest in their final game of the week. The tip-off from LJVM Coliseum is slated for 2 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.
