The Tar Heels were able to hold Liberty off in the second half despite the Flames attempt to come back from a 14-point deficit. With a final score of 71-65, North Carolina lives to play another game in the NCAA Tournament.
“I knew it was going to be a tough game because Liberty’s tough and it’s just typical of these first round games that we’ve been seeing in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. So we’re happy for the win and we’re looking forward to playing on Monday night.”
The fourth-seeded Tar Heels shot 49 percent and Allisha Gray led the way with 17 points. Stephanie Mavunga put up 12 points and credits the guards for pressuring the offense at the top.
“We fronted the post a lot. That was really a big thing,” Mavunga said. “Also, the on-the-ball defense from the top and the wings… the guards did a really good job mirroring the ball that way they didn’t have a good look so they couldn’t pass it into the post as easily.”
Liberty made a run in the second half and cut Carolina’s 14 point lead to 65-59. Coach Sylvia Hatchell says poor rebounding gave the Flames an opportunity to come back.
“Our rebounding was…. I don’t know what words you could use to describe it… but it was pretty bad. So we have to do a lot better job with that,” Coach Sylvia Hatchell said.
Senior Latifah Coleman scored 15 points—the most she has scored in 2015. Coleman says having Coach Hatchell back this season is emotional for the team.
“Every time we think about the tournament and last year we get filled with emotion. I mean, having Coach Hatchell back is great it’s just more fuel to the fire and there’s more purpose to what we do and why we do it,” Coleman said.
North Carolina plays Ohio State Monday night at Carmichael Arena in the 2nd round of the tournament.
FINAL BOX SCORE
Related Stories
‹
UNC and Football Communities Share Tributes in Tylee Craft's Memory After His DeathHundreds of UNC and football community members shared posts on social media honoring Tylee Craft after his death was announced on Saturday.
Women's Basketball: UNC Adds Sam Miller and Sean Sullivan to Coaching StaffUNC head women’s basketball coach Courtney Banghart announced Monday that the Tar Heels have added both Sam Miller and Sean Sullivan to the team staff. Miller will serve as Director of Scouting and Video Operations and Sullivan will serve as Director of Player Personnel Development and Recruiting Operations. Most recently, Miller was an assistant coach and […]
Itoro Coleman Hired as UNC Women's Basketball Assistant CoachThe UNC women’s basketball program announced Monday Itoro Coleman has joined the staff as an assistant coach, after spending last season in a similar role at Marquette. Coleman was a three-time All-ACC selection as a player at Clemson, where she would go on to also serve as both an assistant coach and as head coach. […]
UNC Athletics Teams With The Brandr Group to Create Player Rights Program for AlumniA group of over 100 former UNC student-athlete alumni have agreed to support a groundbreaking multi-year deal with marketing and licensing agency The Brandr Group. This agreement will create a voluntary group licensing program which will allow former student athletes–in conjunction with their alma mater–to profit from their marketability. A wide variety of men’s basketball […]
UNC Women's Basketball Adding William & Mary Transfer Eva HodgsonWilliam & Mary guard Eva Hodgson revealed Monday on Twitter that she is transferring to UNC for her final two years of collegiate eligibility. Hodgson sat out the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 concerns, but started all 60 games she played in during the two years prior. She was named the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie […]
Janelle Bailey Selected as WBCA All-American Honorable MentionUNC senior forward Janelle Bailey was named an All-American honorable mention on Monday by the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association. Bailey has been a four-year starter for the Tar Heels and led the team in both scoring and rebounding this past season, averaging 13.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. A four-time All-ACC selection and the […]
Petra Holešínská to Compete in College Three-Point ChampionshipUNC graduate transfer Petra Holešínská was selected Monday to compete in the upcoming State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Holešínská is one of eight players who will compete for the women’s three-point crown on Thursday, after finishing the season as UNC’s top threat from long distance–making 56 total […]
Wake Forest Hands UNC Women's Basketball Early Exit From ACC TournamentDespite a career-high 23 points from freshman guard Alyssa Ustby, the UNC women’s basketball team fell to Wake Forest 82-71 on Thursday in Greensboro as part of the ACC Tournament Second Round. The Demon Deacons (12-11, 8-10 ACC) were red-hot from three-point range, shooting 10-for-17 from deep on the way to the victory. In addition […]
UNC's Janelle Bailey, Deja Kelly Earn All-ACC Women's Basketball HonorsA pair of Tar Heel women’s basketball standouts earned All-ACC honors on Tuesday, as Janelle Bailey was named an All-ACC honorable mention and Deja Kelly received a spot on the All-Freshman team. Bailey–a senior from Charlotte–has now received All-ACC recognition in each of her four years at UNC. She was the ACC Freshman of the […]
Deja Kelly Earns Second Consecutive ACC Women's Basketball Freshman of the Week HonorUNC point guard Deja Kelly was named the ACC Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week on Monday for the second consecutive week. Kelly scored exactly 22 points in both of the Tar Heels’ wins over Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, shooting 51 percent from the floor and going 5-for-9 from three-point range across those two […]
›
