Junior guard Paris Kea poured in a career-high 36 points Sunday afternoon at Carmichael Arena, guiding the UNC women’s basketball team to a thrilling 92-86 overtime victory over the No. 15 Duke Blue Devils.
The Tar Heels (14-6, 4-3 ACC) trailed by as many as 19 points midway through the second quarter–and held the lead for just 17 seconds during regulation–but fought back to end a six-game losing streak against their most-hated rival.
Duke (16-5, 4-3 ACC) built the lead by shooting 52 percent in the game, and receiving 29 points from guard Haley Gorecki–who drained seven of the Blue Devils’ 11 three-pointers.
It was a shooting clinic on both ends, however, as UNC used 13 three-pointers to rally back, tie the game and then steal it away.
Kea’s shot from beyond the arc with just one second left in the fourth quarter tied the game at 72 and sent the game into the extra period–driving the home crowd into a frenzy.
UNC then jumped out to an early lead in the extra period thanks to Kea’s fifth–and final–three-pointer of the game, but it was back-to-back threes from freshman guard Leah Church in the final two minutes that helped seal the deal.
Church ultimately finished with 19 points for the Tar Heels, while senior guard Jamie Cherry added 22 points and a career-high 13 assists.
TFW you #BeatDuke in OT after being down by NINETEEN #GOHEELS pic.twitter.com/TTKamVUbQY
— UNC Women's Hoops (@uncwbb) January 21, 2018
Up Next:
The Tar Heels will return to action on Thursday, Jan. 25 when they travel to face Virginia in Charlottesville. Tip-off for that game is set for 7 p.m.
Photo via Jeffrey A. Camarati (UNC Athletics)
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