Three free throws with less than two seconds left doomed Carolina to its third straight loss Sunday afternoon in Blacksburg. In a game which featured 26 lead changes, UNC lost to Virginia Tech 68-65. The team’s three-game losing streak is its longest since the 2020-21 season. It also means the Tar Heels start out ACC play 0-2.

Deja Kelly led Carolina with 21 points on 9-17 shooting, but she was not on the floor for the final seconds after fouling out with 1:23 remaining. A Kelly jumper had given UNC a 62-58 lead with just under five minutes to go, but the Hokies outscored the Tar Heels 10-3 down the stretch. Carolina did not make a shot from the field in the final 2:55.

Virginia Tech’s Georgia Amoore led all scorers with 24 points, including the three final free throws to win the game. She had been fouled while shooting a three-pointer to cap a hectic final sequence which saw a potential go-ahead layup from Anya Poole on the other end blocked. Amoore took a whopping 14 three-pointers on the day and made six of them, more than all of the Tar Heels combined. Amoore played all 40 minutes.

Kelly and Alyssa Ustby were the only UNC starters to reach double figures, but Carolina did get 15 points off the bench from freshman Paulina Paris, which ties her career high. Nine of Paris’ points came in the fourth quarter, and she was the only Tar Heel to make multiple shots in the final 10 minutes.

The loss means UNC has now dropped four consecutive games against Power 5 opponents, with its last win coming all the way back in November at the Phil Knight Invitational. The Tar Heels will be back in action on Thursday, January 5 at 6 p.m. at Miami.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

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