After losing a double-digit lead in its loss at Clemson, the North Carolina women's basketball team (13-11, 2-9 ACC) faced an ACC opponent in Boston College (9-16, 2-10 ACC) that looked to halt a 10-game losing streak. The Tar Heels couldn't shoot their way out of a first-half deficit, falling to the Eagles, 88-77.
What happened?
After a lagging start for both teams, it was the Eagles who regained their shooting touch first. While the Tar Heels ended the quarter with a 0-for-7 drought from the field, the Eagles went on a 14-0 run over the final 3:58.
The run continued into the next period. The Eagles built a 19-point lead before a 3-pointer by sophomore Stephanie Watts at the 7:39 mark of the second quarter stopped the UNC dry spell. The Tar Heels walked off the floor after the half facing a 15-point deficit.
While North Carolina tightened up its offense in the third quarter, Boston College shot an improbable 100 percent on nine attempts from 3-point range in the third quarter to expand its lead to 72-52.
The fourth quarter saw a herculean effort from the Tar Heels. A Paris Kea layup with 4:53 left brought UNC within eight, but North Carolina wouldn’t get any closer en route to an 11-point defeat.
Who stood out?
While the UNC offense barely seemed to be stirring in the first half, when there was life for the Tar Heels it came from sophomore Paris Kea. Kea had 13 points and three steals in the half, showing flashes of her athleticism on loose ball plays.
Kea was helped by Watts and junior Jamie Cherry, all of whom scored double-digit points. Kea finished with 22 points, six rebounds and four steals, while Cherry found her shooting touch too late as she dropped a career-high 31 points on 10-of-20 shooting in the loss.