UNC women's basketball drops second straight heartbreaker

With one second remaining, North Carolina guard Destinee Walker lofted an inbounds pass across the court to guard Jamie Cherry. The sophomore took one dribble and put up a signature 3-point shot at the buzzer.

If she made it, the game was won.

But the shot rimmed out for Cherry as No. 22 UNC (0-2) lost 79-77 to Oregon (1-0) — marking the Tar Heels' second loss of the season that came down to the game's final play.

While the 3-point shot didn’t go down for Cherry, UNC's long-range defense was the reason for its downfall.

North Carolina had no trouble putting the ball in the basket, but stopping Oregon’s offense was a challenge the Tar Heels could not overcome.

The Ducks made 13 3-pointers on 29 attempts, as an inexperienced UNC team struggled with missed assignments and poor defensive spacing — something Coach Sylvia Hatchell attributed to her young players still learning the ropes.

And after also allowing eight 3-pointers against Gardner-Webb on Friday, Hatchell said her team's defensive issues on the perimeter should be resolved as players gain more experience in the system.

The Tar Heels were able to step up defensively in the closing moments, holding Oregon without a field goal in the final three minutes of the game.

But UNC had already dug itself into a hole — one that was two points too deep.

Quotable

"They’re going to be good. At times, you can see why they’re both McDonald's All-Americans. But this is a whole different level for them, especially defensively." — Hatchell on the development of her two first-year guards, Walker and Stephanie Watts.

Notable:

For the second game in a row, Cherry nailed a pivotal 3-point shot with less than 30 seconds left to give the Tar Heels a chance. On Sunday, Cherry sunk one from beyond the arc to pull within a point. And against Gardner-Webb, the sophomore hit a go-ahead shot with seven seconds left, before the Bulldogs won on a last-second drive.

Three numbers that matter

37: Four of UNC's starters played at least 37 minutes. Because of injuries and transfers, the Tar Heels have only been able to substitute one player at a time.

3: UNC has now lost its first two games by a combined three points, as both contests came down to a shot at the buzzer.

17: The Tar Heels pulled down 17 offensive and 17 defensive rebounds against Oregon, establishing dominance on the boards throughout the game.

What’s next?

The Tar Heels host Florida A&M at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Carmichael Arena.

@_Brohammed

sports@dailytarheel.com