Exactly three weeks after coming up short in the ACC quarterfinals, North Carolina women’s basketball is taking the trip back to the Greensboro Coliseum, in a much tougher match.

Carolina has risen to the Sweet 16 after two home wins over Liberty and Ohio State. The match against the Buckeyes was no easy feat.

Much like when she sent UNC’s last game of the ACC Tournament into overtime, freshman Jamie Cherry came through in the waning seconds of the match to net a big shot – this time for the 86-84 victory.

“It’s the second time this year she’s made a shot like that,” Head coach Sylvia Hatchell boasted. “She can shoot, the kid can really light it up so in there at the end, it was sort of divine intervention and I just thought, ‘put Jamie in.’”

Friday’s match proves as another flashback moment for the Tar Heels. Last season, Carolina upset opponent and women’s basketball powerhouse, South Carolina in the round of 16.

“(South Carolina Head coach Dawn Staley) has done a fabulous job down there rebuilding that program,” Hatchell said. “We beat them last year so I’m sure they’ll be really fired up for us. They’ve got size, they’ve got shooters, and they’re just a really good team. So we’re going to have to play well but hey, anything can happen – as we know.”

In that game last March, UNC came out on top of the Gamecocks in Stanford, California 65-58. Since then, USC has only lost twice – falling to top-seeded Connecticut and conference foe Kentucky.

With the Battle of the Carolinas meeting in a conveniently close arena, the atmosphere in the Coliseum should be nothing less than electrifying.