It’s not often that a game is sealed by an offensive rebound off of a free throw. But senior Indya Nivar gathered her own missed shot with one second left to keep No. 25 UNC women’s basketball’s lead and escape Raleigh with a 61-59 win over N.C. State.

After taking the lead in the third quarter, the Tar Heels built a ten-point lead late in the fourth quarter but saw it slip away as its offense turned over the ball on three of its last four possessions. Carolina’s four-minute scoring drought from the floor was paired with five consecutive Wolfpack buckets, punctuated by UNC’s Reniya Kelly turning the ball over with 10 seconds remaining. N.C. State’s Zam Jones missed a go-ahead three-point shot in the ensuing possession, with Nivar gathering the rebound and being fouled.

Despite missing her free throws — and with all her teammates back on N.C. State’s side of the floor to play defense — Nivar snuck past four Wolfpack players to grab the ball and ice the game. She finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Sophomore guard Lanie Grant led the Tar Heels in scoring with 18 points, shooting 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-6 from three.

Neither team shot well in the first half, with Carolina struggling in the opening quarter by mustering only 14 points and N.C. State then only scoring 14 in the second. UNC emerged from halftime and turned its four-point deficit into a six-point lead by suffocating the Wolfpack and limiting them to just eight points in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Carolina shot 50 percent from the floor in the third with Grant pouring in 10 points to fuel the comeback.

The win marks UNC head coach Courtney Banghart’s first win at Reynolds Coliseum and the program’s first in Raleigh since Jan. 2019. It is also the Tar Heels’ fifth in a row, which includes a 3-0 stretch on the road, and moves them to 18-5 on the season (7-3 in ACC play). N.C. State drops to 15-7 on the season and 8-3 in conference play following the teams’ sole regular season matchup.

UNC women’s basketball will next be in action on Thursday, Feb. 5 as they host Clemson. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

 

Featured image via Carolina Women’s Basketball on X.

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