At least one UNC basketball team had a happy holiday weekend.

The No. 8 UNC women’s basketball team claimed the Phil Knight Invitational title Sunday night, defeating No. 5 Iowa State 73-64. The Tar Heels trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half.

The result is Carolina’s highest-ranked win away from Chapel Hill under head coach Courtney Banghart, surpassing the mark set by the Tar Heels just two days ago when they beat No. 18 Oregon. It’s also the largest comeback for the Tar Heels against a Power 5 opponent under Banghart, and the team’s third straight win when trailing at halftime.

Much like the win against the Ducks, UNC spent much of Sunday night’s game against the Cyclones in comeback mode. A miserable first half saw the Tar Heels make only seven shots and shoot 21.2 percent from the field. Junior guard Deja Kelly scored just seven points on 1-9 shooting, and fellow guard Kennedy Todd-Williams was held without a point entirely, shooting 0-5. Iowa State took a lead as large as 32-15 midway through the second quarter, but UNC made some headway by closing the half on a 10-5 spurt. The Tar Heels trailed 35-22 at halftime.

As the second half began, Carolina turned on the jets. The offense roared to life, shooting a sizzling 67 percent from the floor to cut into the Cyclone lead even further. Kelly outdid her entire first half in the third quarter alone, scoring nine points. Todd-Williams and Alyssa Ustby combined to score 12 points and didn’t miss a shot between them in the period. Though Iowa State shot 50 percent in the quarter, the Cyclones still saw five more points shaved off their lead.

Trailing by just eight entering the fourth quarter, Carolina proceeded to seize the lead in stunning fashion by scoring 14 unanswered points. Consecutive three-pointers from Eva Hodgson and Kelly tied the game at 53-53, before a pair of jumpers from Todd-Williams and a layup from Kelly opened the Tar Heel lead up to 59-53. Iowa State eventually found its footing and tied the game at 64-64 with under a minute to go, but a clutch layup and the foul from Kelly gave UNC the lead back. This time, they wouldn’t relinquish it.

UNC’s Paulina Paris releases a scoop shot against Iowa State at the Moda Center in Portland, OR. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Carolina buckled down on defense in the final minute, stealing the ball on three consecutive Iowa State inbounds plays to salt away the victory. The Tar Heels outscored the Cyclones 28-11 in the fourth quarter while shooting 9-14 (64 percent) from the floor. Iowa State shot just 2-15 (13.3 percent) in the same time span. UNC missed just nine shots in the entire second half.

Kelly ended the night with 29 points, just two shy of her career high. She was named tournament MVP. Ustby scored 14, Todd-Williams 17 and Hodgson 11, with all three shooting 50 percent or better from the floor.

Now 6-0 with two ranked wins under its belt, Carolina is poised to enter the Top 5 of national polls for the first time in four seasons under Banghart. The Tar Heels have yet another stiff test awaiting them before returning home, though. UNC will travel to Bloomington to face No. 6 Indiana in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. That game is scheduled for Thursday, December 1 at 6 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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