Women’s Basketball: UNC Fights Back to Top Virginia Tech in Regular Season Finale

Sunday’s regular season finale in Blacksburg saw the UNC women’s basketball team fight back from a 14-point halftime deficit to top Virginia Tech by a score of 68-63.

For the second straight game, freshman point guard Deja Kelly led the Tar Heels (13-9, 8-9 ACC) with exactly 22 points. Senior forward Janelle Bailey added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Stephanie Watts and Petra Holešínská chipped in 11 points apiece.

Although UNC held a slim lead through one quarter, Virginia Tech (13-8, 8-8 ACC) shot nearly 70 percent in the second quarter to build the big halftime advantage.

The Tar Heels erased that deficit rather quickly, though, cutting the deficit down to one point with a huge third quarter performance. Another strong showing in the fourth quarter then delivered UNC its first double-digit comeback win of the season.

“You could tell from the look on everybody’s faces, whether it was on the bench or on the floor, that we were going to get the job done,” Bailey said. “They were shooting lights out, but we locked in defensively in the second half and we made the right plays, knocked down shots. It was a total team win and I’m just so happy.”

Up Next:

The win earns UNC the No. 8 seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament, where No. 9 seed Wake Forest awaits on Thursday.

FINAL BOX SCORE

Photo via Virginia Tech Athletics

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

‹

Tuesday Takedown: No. 12 UNC Women Beat Wingate in Final Warm-up

Next up for the Tar Heels is the start of the regular season on Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Air Force at Carmichael Arena.

Women's Basketball: UNC Adds Sam Miller and Sean Sullivan to Coaching Staff

UNC 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 Coach

The 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 Women's Basketball Adding William & Mary Transfer Eva Hodgson

William & 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 Mention

UNC 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 Championship

UNC 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 Tournament

Despite 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 Honors

A 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 Honor

UNC 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 […]

Women's Basketball: UNC Fights Back to Top Virginia Tech in Regular Season Finale

Sunday’s regular season finale in Blacksburg saw the UNC women’s basketball team fight back from a 14-point halftime deficit to top Virginia Tech by a score of 68-63. For the second straight game, freshman point guard Deja Kelly led the Tar Heels (13-9, 8-9 ACC) with exactly 22 points. Senior forward Janelle Bailey added a […]

›