The North Carolina women’s basketball team exchanged shots with Gardner-Webb in its season opener, but it was the Bulldogs who landed the final blow.
No. 20 UNC (0-1) appeared on its way to an easy win before Gardner-Webb (1-0) stormed back to claim a 66-65 victory on the final shot of the game.
Following a closely contested first half, the Tar Heels found themselves down to unranked Gardner-Webb at the break after two quarters riddled with turnovers and poor shooting.
But North Carolina turned it on to start the third quarter, opening the half with a 12-2 run and claiming a 15-point advantage at the end of the quarter. UNC’s offense found its mark — shooting 66.7 percent in the period — but it was the defense that helped open up the lead, as Gardner-Webb managed only 11 points in the third quarter.
And after an offseason full of uncertainty, North Carolina looked all but sure to start its season undefeated.
But missed defensive assignments and foul trouble brought down the Tar Heels. Gardner-Webb knocked down four 3-pointers in the final quarter and held its own on defense to cut the deficit late.
But every time Gardner-Webb got close, UNC sophomore Jamie Cherry answered.
The guard put together a dominating performance — leading her team with 25 points and five assists — in an effort to subdue the Bulldogs' attack.
After Gardner-Webb took its first lead with 3:05 remaining, Cherry scored her team’s final seven points — including a go-ahead shot from well beyond the 3-point line with eight seconds remaining.