A dominant rebounding advantage and a suffocating defensive performance helped UNC beat Georgia Tech 54-46 in Atlanta Thursday night and record its third straight ACC win.
UNC limited the Yellow Jackets to 31.7 percent shooting (18-57) for the game, doing just enough to offset the Tar Heels own shooting woes: they were an even worse 28.8 percent (19-66). Thursday was the third straight game Carolina has held an opponent to below 40 percent from the field. That defensive performance helped UNC creep away from the Yellow Jackets after the game went to halftime tied at 24-24. The Tar Heels then outscored Georgia Tech 30-22 in the second half, holding the hosts to their lowest-scoring second half of the season.
Carolina mitigated its offensive struggles by grabbing 25 offensive rebounds (Georgia Tech only managed to grab 24 defensive rebounds), which it turned into 15 second-chance points. Ciera Toomey posted the best rebounding game of her collegiate career, grabbing 15 boards to go along with nine points in 30 minutes. Reniya Kelly and Lanie Grant tied for the team lead with 11 points. For Kelly, Thursday marked her third straight game scoring in double figures, after the junior had not done so at all in the season’s first 18 games.
Thursday’s win improves UNC to 16-5 overall and 5-3 in ACC play. The Tar Heels will return to action Sunday when they host Syracuse at Carmichael Arena at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
Featured image via Associated Press/LM Otero
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