RALEIGH, N.C. – All three Triangle-area Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) women’s basketball teams were on the road over the weekend.
While the North Carolina Tar Heels ended a seven-game losing streak with an 86-78 win over Boston College, the Duke Blue Devils fell 61-53 to No. 16 Miami, and the N.C. State Wolfpack dropped a 63-58 decision to Wake Forest.
All three return home to host games on Thursday starting at 7 p.m. – North Carolina tips off against Virginia Tech at Carmichael Arena; Duke hosts 10th-ranked Florida State at Cameron Indoor Stadium; and N.C. State hosts BC at Holliday Gym at Broughton High School.
—
Summers leads Tar Heels over BC
CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. – Hillary Summers scored a career-high 23 points to lead North Carolina to an 86-78 victory at Boston College Sunday afternoon from Conte Forum.
Summers’ career day featured an 11-of-12 performance from the field and nine rebounds in 34 minutes of action.
Jamie Cherry helped the North Carolina (13-12, 3-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) cause with 21 points and six assists.
The sophomore guard also went 13-of-16 from the free throw line, including making all six of her attempts in the final 87 seconds.
N’Dea Bryant added 16 points, while freshmen guards Stephanie Watts and Destinee Walker each chipped in with 12.
Boston College (13-10, 1-9) was led by Nicole Boudreau’s career-high 26 points. She knocked down eight of the Eagles’ 12 three-pointers in the game.
Kelly Hughes had 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Mariella Fasoula had 14.
Carolina scored a season-high 50 points in the second half, and shot a season-best 53.2 percent for the game, led by Summers’ near flawless effort.
Boston College held a 42-36 lead at halftime.
Trailing for a majority of the third quarter, North Carolina pieced together a 9-0 run to take its first lead, 56-55, since the opening minute of the second quarter.
UNC made 7-of-9 shots at one point in the third to get back in the game.
Bryant led the way with eight points in the period, however, the Eagles regained a 62-58 advantage heading to the final period.
Walker put all five UNC starters in double figures with a step-back three-pointer for a 65-64 lead early in the fourth.
Bryant would put UNC up 78-69 with 2:33 left, and Summers later set a new career high with a baseline jumper to give the Tar Heels a seven-point cushion with less than a minute to go.
—
Duke comeback falls short at Miami
CORAL GABLES, FLA. – Duke dug itself into a big first half hole, but a valiant comeback was held off by 16th-ranked Miami as the 16th-ranked Hurricanes downed the Blue Devils, 61-53, at the BankUnited Center on Sunday.
Chidom finished with a career-high 18 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 34 minutes.
Rebecca Greenwell scored 15 of her 16 points in the second half and added a team-high seven rebounds.
For the game, Duke hit a season-low 27.9 percent from the field, but turned the ball over only 13 times.
Crystal Primm chipped in seven points, five rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes.
Both teams traded baskets before the Hurricanes went on a 6-0 run to take a 15-9 lead following the first 10 minutes.
Miami continued its run with a 15-0 burst to go ahead 24-9 during the second quarter.
Duke had one of the worst stretches in school history missing 24 straight shots and went on to trail 27-11 at halftime.
The Blue Devils last hit a field goal at the 5:01 mark of the first half and were held to only two free throws in the second half.
Duke missed 24 straight shots until graduate student Amber Henson drained a jumper to open the third quarter.
After allowing a three-pointer by Miami’s Adrienne Motley, the Blue Devils went on a 9-1 run to cut the Hurricane lead to 31-20 in the third quarter before Miami answered back with a 7-2 run of its own.
The Blue Devils trailed 54-45 with 3:27 to play as Henson drained her third three-pointer of the season.
Even as Duke cut the Hurricane lead to 57-50 with 1:38 remaining, Miami held on for the win.
Of note, the Blue Devils played their second straight game without leading scorer Azurá Stevens.
Stevens is listed as day-to-day and is hoping to return in the Blue Devils’ next game.
—
Wolfpack loses to Wake Forest, 63-58
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The N.C. State Wolfpack (16-8, 7-4) dropped its Sunday afternoon road game at Wake Forest, falling 63-58 at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Wolfpack held a five-point lead at the end of the third quarter but was outscored 20-10 over the course of the final 10 minutes in the loss.
Wake Forest’s Ariel Stephenson led all scorers with a career-high 22 points on 8-18 shooting which included a 4-8 success rate from distance.
Junior forward Jennifer Mathurin tied her career highs in points (21) and 3FGs made (5) in the loss. She was joined in double figures by 18 points from Miah Spencer on 8-14 shooting.
“This is a tough loss, no doubt about it,” N.C. State head coach Wes Moore said.
“We need to get back in the gym and pay attention to detail, whether it’s a scouting report, film, or a walk-through. It’s not always fun, especially this time of year when you’ve been doing it for a few months, but like anything you do, the work must be put in before you reap the benefits. We have some work to do.”