Lanie Grant scored a career-high 21 points and Nyla Harris recorded her fifth double-double of the season as No. 3 seed UNC beat No. 6 seed Virginia Tech 85-68 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals in Duluth, GA Friday night. The Tar Heels are into the semifinal round for the second consecutive season.

UNC’s 17-point win came after the Tar Heels trailed by five points at 16-11 after the first quarter. But the Carolina offense turned up the heat in the second, outscoring the Hokies 29-11 while shooting 9-16 (56.3 percent) from the field. UNC also drew eight Virginia Tech fouls in the quarter and shot 8-10 at the free throw line.

The second-quarter surge staked Carolina to a 40-27 lead at halftime, and the Hokies would never trim that advantage to lower than nine points for the rest of the night. The shotmaking of Grant helped UNC weather an 8-2 Virginia Tech run in the third quarter, and an 8-0 Carolina run late in the fourth extended the Tar Heel lead from 12 to 20, sealing the quarterfinal win.

For Grant, a Virginia native, her 21-point showing was her fourth double-figure scoring effort in the team’s last five games. That run started when Grant scored 12 points in UNC’s other meeting with Virginia Tech this season, a 66-63 overtime win in Blacksburg in February. Harris added 19 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes, while Elina Aarnisalo stayed hot with 18 points, five rebounds and six assists. The UCLA transfer has reached double figures in five straight games and is averaging 20 points per game in her last three contests. Nyla Brooks added 10 points off the bench.

Friday’s win marks the first time UNC has defeated Virginia Tech twice in the same season under head coach Courtney Banghart. Carolina is now 26-6 overall and has won five consecutive games. Up next, UNC will advance to the semifinal round to face No. 2 seed Louisville Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Tar Heels fell to the Cardinals in overtime in Chapel Hill in the teams’ only other meeting this season.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Women's Basketball Falls to Louisville in ACC Tournament Semifinals
UNC finished with nearly as many turnovers as made baskets against Louisville Saturday in the ACC Tournament semifinals, falling to the Cardinals 65-57. After posting a 29-point quarter against Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals Friday night, Carolina managed no more than 17 points in any quarter Saturday. Despite the offensive struggles, UNC remained close thanks […]
UNC Women's Basketball in the 2026 ACC Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Times
Carolina will play in the 2026 ACC Tournament this week in Duluth, GA. The Tar Heels are the No. 3 seed in the field and will play their semifinal game Saturday. For a look at the full tournament bracket, click here. If you aren’t traveling to Georgia with the team, here’s how you can follow […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Women Up to No. 15, Men Down to No. 19
Both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams made moves in the most recent AP Polls, which were released Monday. The women’s team moved up one spot to No. 15, while the men’s team slipped two spots to No. 19. On the men’s side, the Tar Heels dropped after splitting their final two games of […]
Here's the Complete Bracket for the 2026 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament
The 2026 ACC women’s basketball tournament begins Wednesday at Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA and runs through Sunday. UNC is the No. 3 seed in the field and is seeking its first ACC tournament title since 2008. Duke is the defending tournament champion and the No. 1 seed in this year’s field. Check out […]
UNC Women's Basketball Falls to No. 1 UConn in NCAA Sweet 16
UNC could not generate enough offense to run with No. 1 UConn in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 in Fort Worth, TX Friday evening, falling to the undefeated Huskies 63-42. The Tar Heels’ season is over in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. The Tar Heels struggled against a suffocating UConn defense all […]
UNC Women's Basketball in the 2026 NCAA Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Times
Carolina will compete in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Tar Heels will face No. 1 overall seed and defending champion UConn in Fort Worth, TX Friday. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to […]
UNC Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Opponent Breakdown: UConn
UNC will play in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season Friday in Fort Worth, TX. If Carolina wants to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014, it will have to spring a major upset over the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and defending champion: UConn. The Huskies are […]
Chansky's Notebook: On the Rise
Courtney Banghart has the pieces in place to take the UNC women's basketball program to the next level in the coming years.
UNC Women's Basketball Beats No. 5 Seed Maryland to Advance to NCAA Sweet 16
No. 4 seed UNC outscored No. 5 Maryland 24-16 in the fourth quarter and beat the Terrapins 74-66 in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 at Carmichael Arena Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels now advance to the tournament’s Sweet 16, which will be played in Fort Worth, TX next week. SO 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙏. pic.twitter.com/ZfyaHTTQsx — Carolina […]
UNC Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Opponent Breakdown: Maryland
No. 4 seed UNC will face No. 5 seed Maryland Sunday at Carmichael Arena with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. The winner will play in the regional semifinals in Fort Worth, TX next week. Carolina is seeking its second consecutive trip to the Sweet 16. The Terrapins defeated No. 12 seed […]
›