You know the story by now.

The UNC women’s basketball team had a slim lead on the road. This time, that lead grew into double digits in the fourth quarter. Even better, it did so inside NC State’s venerable Reynolds Coliseum, where the Tar Heels have yet to win a game under head coach Courtney Banghart.

But as has happened far too often this season, Carolina completely collapsed down the stretch in a hostile environment. So much so that they lost by double digits… in overtime. The Wolfpack prevailed 77-66 after five extra minutes in Raleigh, dropping Banghart to 0-4 inside Reynolds as the UNC head coach.

Small gym? Maybe. What wasn’t small was Carolina’s win probability entering the final five minutes: UNC led 55-45 after a free throw from Paulina Paris with 4:15 to go. But after that, the Wolfpack rallied, using a 9-2 spurt to draw within three with two minutes left. Carolina extended that lead to four with a minute remaining, but a pair of clutch threes from Jakia Brown-Turner kept State alive, and a missed free throw from Kayla McPherson proved costly. The Wolfpack scored a tying layup with 13 seconds remaining to force overtime.

The extra session was no contest: State scored the first seven points and Carolina didn’t hit a shot from the floor until there were 20 seconds left, when the game was already out of reach. It was academic by then: the Wolfpack hit their free throws, and the Tar Heels couldn’t hit water if they jumped into Jordan Lake.

As their winning probability plummeted, so did their chances of A) securing a double-bye at the ACC Tournament and B) hosting in the NCAA Tournament. What seemed certain merely two weeks ago is now more of an uphill climb.

Sure, Carolina could go on a late-season run and wrap up a host spot by performing well in the conference tournament. But if the Tar Heels wilt every time they see a fan dressed in a different color, that isn’t going to happen.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

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