Allisha Gray gives Tar Heels a boost in win against Terrapins

GREENSBORO — Entering the North Carolina women’s basketball team’s matchup against No. 8 Maryland, all of the focus was on the showdown between ACC Freshman of the Year Diamond DeShields and three-time ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas.

Both led their teams in scoring, but it was freshman guard Allisha Gray who would force her way into the spotlight in the Tar Heels’ 73-70 triumph against the Terrapins in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament.

Despite a strong showing throughout the regular season that landed her a spot on the ACC all-freshman team, a head injury in Thursday’s game against Wake Forest prevented her from playing the second half and raised the question of whether she’d play Friday.

But associate head coach Andrew Calder never questioned Gray’s absence extending any further.

“She’s a tough, tough young lady, very mentally tough,” Calder said. “And we expected her to play tonight.”

And in the game’s opening minute, Gray received a pass behind the 3-point arc and pulled up to knock down the shot and expunge any doubt. Clank. The ball drew iron.
The brick was the first of four consecutive misses for Gray.

A look of frustration was painted on her face, and she flung her arms around in disgust after missing a free throw late in the first half. But Gray said the only way to combat those early offensive woes was on the defensive side of the ball.

“Once I get a couple stops on defense, then my offense develops,” Gray said. “I really don’t worry about (shots falling) because I know my team will score, I just focus on defense and just play my role and shoot when I’m open.”

Gray carried through with this course of action by clamping down on Maryland’s Katie Rutan, third in the ACC in 3-point percentage, holding her to only three points.

And as she expected, her intense defense began to feed her offense.

With fewer than four minutes remaining in the first half, Gray spun like a top down the baseline and floated the ball in for the first two points of an 11-4 run that she would cap by draining her first 3-pointer of the night.

The run initiated by Gray permitted the Tar Heels to grasp a 37-26 lead going into the locker room and gave her the necessary boost offensively.

After the team opened the second half with a lackadaisical performance that brought the Terrapins within three, Gray stepped up for her teammates in the same way they had previously done for her by splashing in another 3.

Gray’s 3 halted the Maryland onslaught and gave way to a 9-0 run by the Tar Heels that culminated with an athletic, jaw-dropping putback by the freshman.

But that would be the last field goal for Gray the rest of the way. The anticipated battle between DeShields and Thomas ensued, and Gray found herself a spectator on the offensive side of the ball.

With Maryland closing the gap to 71-70 with a shade more than a minute remaining, Gray reverted to her previous strategy of making an impact on the defensive side of the ball.

After UNC failed to convert on back-to-back layup attempts, the ball bounced into the hands of Thomas. She pushed down the court with the shear determination that has awarded her the accolades to put give her team the lead.

Only one person stood in her way, and it was Gray.

Thomas charged to the rim and pulled up for a mid-range jumper, but Gray blocked the shot and denied the Terrapins the lead, which they would never attain.

Gray concluded the night with a double-double consisting of 17 points and 10 rebounds.

DeShields, who finished with 22 points, said Gray’s performance was nothing less than what she expected.

“I know before the game started, all day, basically, we’ve just been talking to each other, we’re going to get buckets tonight, and trying to motivate each other,” DeShields said. “I know she was down last night, had to sit out. And so I tried to say, I got you, I got you.“

But it was Gray who got the Tar Heels into the ACC semifinals.