The University of North Carolina women’s basketball team picked up its sixth win in a row on Thursday night in Carmichael Arena against Syracuse. The Tar Heels won 77-73 in a gutsy comeback victory and are now 12-5 on the season and 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Freshman guard Stephanie Watts led the team with 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists – nearly securing the first triple-double in program history. On Monday, the North Carolina native was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week for the second time in three weeks.

Following Watts, freshman guard Destinee Walker had 17 points, while sophomore guard Jamie Cherry contributed 15 points and a career-high nine assists.

Syracuse was led by freshman guard Alexis Peterson who finished with 22 points, tying Watts for a game-high, followed by freshman guard Brianna Butler’s 19 points.

After the tip-off, Syracuse took a commanding lead, scoring the first 10 points of the game. Watts opened scoring for UNC with two three-pointers, however, the Orange scored as well, resulting in an 18-6 deficit for the Tar Heels.

By the end of the first period Carolina had pulled back within five points, as Watts was already in double figures with 10 points and adding three rebounds and four assists. Syracuse led 24-19 at the end of the first period and retained the lead throughout the second with a 39-33 score at halftime.

Carolina trailed the entire game until about four minutes remained in the fourth period. Head coach Sylvia Hatchell’s Tar Heels didn’t quit and it eventually earned them the win, as UNC took a 66-65 lead off a Walker layup with just over four minutes remaining.

Syracuse scored on their next possession, making it 67-66, but Watts drove to the net and put Carolina back on top, where they would remain until the final buzzer after outscoring Syracuse 25-15 in the fourth period.

The Tar Heels are looking ahead to their next game, a big matchup against a 14-1 Notre Dame team in South Bend, Indiana, at one o’clock on Sunday afternoon. The Fighting Irish are currently atop the ACC standings and remain a perfect 3-0 in conference play.

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