Sophomore guard Lanie Grant scored 19 points and UNC pulled away in the second half to earn an 80-63 win against Columbia in the third and final game of the Cancun Challenge in Mexico Saturday. The win finished off a three-game, three-win sweep of the Challenge for the Tar Heels.

Grant was joined by four other Tar Heels in double figures: Ciera Toomey scored 18 points, Elina Aarnisalo 15, Indya Nivar 11 and Nyla Harris 10. Nivar added six rebounds, six assists and six steals just two days removed from recording the second triple-double in program history against South Dakota State.

UNC once again shot the ball well against the Lions, finishing the day 34-59 (57.6 percent) from the floor. It’s the second straight game the Tar Heels have eclipsed 50 percent shooting and third time in the last four games. But despite the hot shooting, which included a torrid 20-29 (68.9 percent) stretch across the second and third quarters, UNC found itself only up two points at 48-46 in the final two minutes of the third quarter.

Carolina closed that quarter strong, ending on a 9-3 run to lead 57-49 at the beginning of the fourth, then put the Lions away by outscoring them 17-6 in the quarter’s first 5:27 to open a 74-55 lead. Nivar capped the run with personal five-point spurt, knocking down a three-pointer and then converting a steal into a fast-break layup. Overall, UNC’s defense forced 21 Columbia turnovers, which gives the team nine straight games to begin the season with at least 14 forced turnovers. Carolina forced 59 total across its three games in Cancun.

UNC is now 8-1 on the season and has won six straight games, four of which have come on neutral floors. After returning from Cancun, the Tar Heels will be back in action when they visit No. 4 Texas in Austin as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge Thursday, December 4 at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Steve Marcus

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