A three-pointer by UNC guard Ariel Young bounced off the front of the rim at the buzzer on Thursday night in Winston-Salem, allowing Wake Forest to hold off the Tar Heels for a 57-54 victory.

The loss is the first of the season for head coach Courtney Banghart and UNC, after opening the season on a five-game winning streak.

Graduate transfer Petra Holešínská and freshman forward Anya Poole tied for the Tar Heel team lead with 12 points apiece, while senior Janelle Bailey chipped in 11.

After having no problems scoring the ball at will in non-conference play, UNC struggled to make shots against Wake Forest. The Tar Heels shot just 34.8 percent from the field and 11 percent from three-point range.

Wake Forest posted similar shooting numbers, but managed to make the key plays down the stretch in order to come out with the win.

“In this league you’ve got to find a way to get to a certain number of wins and this is one we thought we could’ve gotten,” Banghart said afterwards. “And now we’ve got to go to the next one and the next one and the next one. But It doesn’t matter how you start, it matters how the whole journey goes. If we learn and are tougher from this we’ll be a better team moving forward.”

Up Next:

The Tar Heels hit the road as they prepare to take on No. 2 Louisville on Saturday in by far the toughest test of their season to date. That game is set to begin at 4 p.m.

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

 

 

Photo via Allison F. Smith (UNC 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.