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

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
No. 3 UCLA Pulls Away in 2nd Half, Deals UNC Women's Basketball First Loss of Season
No. 3 UCLA used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to blow open what had been a close game, and the Bruins cruised from there to beat UNC 78-60 in the first game of the WBCA Challenge in Las Vegas Thursday night. The Tar Heels had hung tough with the Bruins during the first […]
UNC Women's Basketball vs. UCLA (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
Carolina heads to Las Vegas this week for two neutral-site games as part of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Challenge. The first game is a marquee matchup, as the Tar Heels will face No. 3 UCLA Thursday night. The Bruins are coming off an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four this past spring. […]
UNC Women's Basketball Dominates 2nd Half, Rolls Past Elon
Despite leading by only nine points at halftime, Carolina pulled away from Elon in the second half to earn a 71-37 win at Carmichael Arena Thursday night. Keep It Rolling 👏@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/x0EvUF0Rst — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 7, 2025 The Tar Heels had shot just 10-33 (30.3 percent) in a low-scoring first […]
UNC Women's Basketball to Face South Carolina in 2026 Ally Tipoff
Another fixture for the UNC women’s basketball program’s 2026-27 season took shape Thursday morning. The Tar Heels announced they will take on perennial power South Carolina in the 2026 Ally Tipoff at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte next fall. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 ➡️Queen City 👑 📰 | https://t.co/jozvB0BhbR pic.twitter.com/Rum7Lj9cXL — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 6, 2025 […]
UNC Women's Basketball to Open 2026-27 Season vs. Oklahoma in Paris
UNC women’s basketball will play in the City of Lights next November. The Tar Heels will face Oklahoma at the Adidas Arena in Paris as part of the fourth annual “Oui Play” event to open the 2026-27 season. The game is set for November 2, 2026, with a tip-off time to be announced at a […]
Newcomers Shine as UNC Women's Basketball Wins Season Opener
UNC jumped out to a big early lead and scored 53 first-half points on its way to an 90-42 win against North Carolina Central at Carmichael Arena Monday. Game One – 𝐖𝐎𝐍.@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/FNWnd6SwNf — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 3, 2025 Five Tar Heels scored in double figures on the day, led by […]
No. 2 South Carolina Downs UNC Women's Basketball in Exhibition
No. 2 South Carolina led by as many as 20 points on its way to a 91-82 win against UNC in a preseason exhibition in Atlanta Thursday night. The Tar Heels will open their regular season Monday. Neither Reniya Kelly nor Blanca Thomas played in the game for UNC, but head coach Courtney Banghart still […]
UNC Women's Basketball Ranked No. 11 in 2025-26 Preseason Poll
Carolina is ranked No. 11 in the AP’s preseason Top 25 poll. It’s the highest preseason ranking for the program since 2009, when the Tar Heels were ranked No. 4. Starting off at No. 1⃣1⃣ Highest preseason ranking since 2009. pic.twitter.com/XFXiAeDiR8 — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) October 14, 2025 UNC returns two starters – guard […]
'Bringing the Legacy Back': Highlights from UNC Women's Basketball's Day at the ACC Tipoff
UNC head coach Courtney Banghart, guard Reniya Kelly and wing Indya Nivar spoke at the ACC Tip-Off in Charlotte Monday afternoon. The Tar Heels are coming off a run to the Sweet 16 last spring, which also saw the program host NCAA Tournament games in Carmichael Arena for the first time since 2015. Here are […]
UNC Women's Basketball Announces 2025-26 ACC Schedule
The ACC announced the full 2025-26 conference schedule for all women’s basketball programs Tuesday afternoon. As was the case during the 2024-25 season, UNC will play 18 conference games, facing 16 teams once and rival Duke twice. Been waiting on this one… The ACC schedule is 𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀! pic.twitter.com/EKw7G5eVCY — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) September 2, […]
›