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The Daily Tar Heel

North Carolina women's basketball loses to Clemson 78-67 after faltering in second half

Despite leading by as much as 15 in the first half, the North Carolina women’s basketball team lost at Clemson, 78-67.

What happened?

Fresh off last week’s upset victory over No. 18 N.C. State, UNC (13-10, 2-8 ACC) started strong, shooting 10-for-15 in the game’s opening quarter to lead Clemson 23-13 after 10 minutes. In the second quarter, the Tar Heels sustained their momentum, twice extending their lead to 15 before heading to the half up 42-31.

In the first half, UNC shot 58.1 percent from the field, including 6-for-12 on 3-point attempts. Jamie Cherry, the team’s sole active upperclassman, paced the offense with 16 in the half as she sank four of her five attempts from beyond the arc. Perhaps ominously, Cherry also picked up three fouls in the half, which would limit her effectiveness against the Tigers (13-11, 2-9 ACC) down the stretch.

In the second half, the Tar Heels grew cold, shooting only 31.4 percent from the field and 2-for-16 on 3-pointers. Compounding this, Cherry picked up her fourth foul midway through the third, forcing her to the bench for most of the third quarter.

With Cherry on the bench, the Tigers clawed their way back, eventually evening the score at 51 with two minutes left in the third quarter. The two teams traded baskets until, with four minutes remaining in the game, Clemson went on an eight-point run to take a 70-63 lead, which it would not relinquish.

Who stood out?

Cherry paced the Tar Heels offensively, scoring 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting. The junior was deadly from three and returned from foul trouble in the fourth quarter to give a desperate UNC offense some life. But her foul trouble limited her minutes, forcing her teammates to pick up the slack.

Paris Kea, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Vanderbilt, led the team in assists with six, while efficiently adding 18 points of her own on 64.3 percent shooting.

When was it decided?

With Clemson leading 64-63 with just under three minutes remaining, the Tigers' Kobi Thornton missed both of her free throws. However, Clemson guard Aliyah Collier scooped the rebound off of the miss, laid in the follow and gave the Tigers a 3-point lead, their biggest of the game to that point. Collier’s putback sparked an 8-0 run that would put the game out of reach and epitomized the Tar Heels’ second half woes.

Collier finished the game with 27 points and 14 rebounds, contributing to a 44-32 edge on the glass for Clemson. Clemson scored 29 second-chance points.

Why does it matter?

Once again, the Tar Heels died by the three more than they lived by it, missing all eight of their attempts in their 13-point fourth quarter. The blueprint to beat UNC is clear: defend the perimeter and thrive on the boards, and Clemson did just that.

UNC has not won a true road game since Dec. 1 at Wisconsin, and struggling Clemson provided the best opportunity yet. But the Tar Heels once again showed their youth and inconsistency against one of the weakest teams in the ACC. 

With the loss, it is clear that North Carolina’s NCAA Tournament hopes will depend on winning the ACC Tournament in March.

Where do they play next?

North Carolina hosts last-place Boston College on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Carmichael Arena.

sports@dailytarheel.com

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