CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – It was a rivalry game, a game honoring the legacy of the late Kay Yow, and a must-win game for both the UNC Tar Heels and the N.C. State Wolfpack when they tipped off at Carmichael Arena on Sunday.
Nothing less would be expected of such a match-up in the latter part of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) season.
In the end, a strong start from the Tar Heels wasn’t enough as the Wolfpack came from behind and took away an 80-66 win.
“I thought we hung in there, battled back,” North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell said.
“State, they played well, they’ve got good shooters, a veteran team. We just couldn’t get back over that hump.”
A double-double from Stephanie Watts (30 points, 13 points) along with double-digit finishes from Jamie Cherry (13 points, 3 rebounds) and Destinee Walker (13 points, 4 rebounds) led the Tar Heels in the losing effort.
An impressive performance from Miah Spencer – 25 points, five rebounds and 10 assists – carried the load for the Wolfpack (18-9, 9-5).
Dominique Wilson’s 19 points, and a double-double from Jennifer Mathurin (14 points, 11 rebounds) helped finish an impressive N.C. State comeback late in the second quarter.
North Carolina (14-15, 4-10) had a lot to make up for after suffering an embarrassing 78-49 loss to N.C. State back on Jan. 31.
In that game, the Wolfpacks’ 11 three- pointers made a big difference.
During the rematch, it made a difference as well.
Only this game, the Tar Heels’ tried to end it in their favor.
They hit 12 from beyond the arc, but the Wolfpack still countered with nine – not enough to make it the difference.
N.C. State head coach Wes Moore accurately described it as “a game of runs, a game of spurts.”
By the end of it all, it just mattered who finished better than the other.
The Tar Heels started quickly and put together an 8-0 run in the first two minutes of play led by three’s from Watts and Cherry.
Another three from Watts extended UNC’s lead to 11-2 before Moore called a timeout at the 6:37 mark of the opening quarter.
The Wolfpack had dropped only 1-of-10 shot attempts up to that point.
A long two from Spencer put N.C. State in the direction it needed to go, but only intermittently.
Free throws from Watts still had the Tar Heels in control, leading 15-6 with 4:16 to go.
North Carolina hovered around a 40-percent shooting conversion rate, and pushed its lead further ahead.
Cherry’s three put the Tar Heels fully in control, leading 24-13 heading into the second period.
North Carolina extended its advantage to 15 points while the Wolfpack continued to shoot inconsistently.
However, the Tar Heels’ scoring well would soon run dry.
Hatchell described it as her team getting tired and making mental mistakes.
With three minutes remaining in the half, N.C. State finally found a groove in which it compiled a 12-3 run to pull within eight, trailing 36-28.
The pushback continued and the difference was soon cut to five after Cherry was called for an intentional foul as Spencer drove to the basket.
The drought extended to over four minutes for North Carolina while Wilson’s free throws cut the Wolfpacks’ deficit to only a point, trailing 36-35 with 1:36 to go.
A set play involving a pass from Spencer and a layup from Carlee Schumacher (4 points, 8 rebounds) gave N.C. State its first lead of the game.
“I just threw it to her and she put it in,” Spencer said.
A missed shot from Watts quickly followed and gave Wilson time for a final attempt as the clock counted down.
She made it and capped off an 18-0 run that put the Wolfpack ahead at halftime, 39-36.
N.C. State’s success from the field didn’t end there.
A 9-0 run started the third quarter and increased the Tar Heels’ deficit to ten points.
Soon after, Mathurin’s second three of the quarter extended N.C. State’s lead to 54-39.
It was a wild scoring swing that didn’t slow as the Wolfpack continued to dominate offensively.
Six-of-eight from the field pushed the N.C. State lead to 61-46 with 2:40 remaining in the third quarter.
Yes, North Carolina chipped away with free throws here and there, and even with three’s, but whatever the Tar Heels started with, they couldn’t seem to get back.
That is until that point with three minutes remaining in the period when Watts compiled 11 points of a 12-3 run that cut the N.C. State lead to 61-55.
It looked as though UNC could do it, but the Wolfpack wouldn’t allow it, holding on to a 75-64 lead with 3:23 to play.
The Tar Heels scored only two more points for the remainder of the game – not enough to finish what they started.
The Wolfpack completed the regular-season sweep of their Triangle-area rival in impressive fashion.
It was also a symbolic win for N.C. State in the memory of former program matriarch Yow.
“It’s State and Carolina,” Hatchell said said of the two teams’ history following their 102nd all-time meeting.
“We’ve always had great games. We battle as hard as we battle. We have a fierce rivalry, but we also have a connection”
“It’s different without her there,” Hatchell continued while putting into perspective more recent match-ups without her former colleague and friend on the sideline for the Wolfpack.
“It’s just not the same without Kay. Kay Yow was N.C. State’s women’s basketball, and in some ways it still is because of who she was and what she stood for, and how her legacy is carrying on now.”
With that said, it’s not a coincidence that Yow’s competitive spirit seemed present as the Wolfpack created yet another impressive ending in a game against the Tar Heels.