No. 2 Texas outscored UNC 47-25 across the second and third quarters to beat the Tar Heels 79-64 in Austin as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge Thursday night.

Carolina had opened the game on the front foot, leading 21-16 after the first quarter thanks to 15 combined points between Indya Nivar and Elina Aarnisalo. But the Longhorns opened the second quarter with seven unanswered points, then ended it with six unanswered to take a 39-31 lead into halftime. The Tar Heels managed just three made shots in the entire period, and none in the final 4:52.

The deficit only grew in the third, with Texas outscoring UNC 24-15 in the third quarter. The Longhorns stretched their lead to as large as 24 points at 78-54 before the Tar Heels whittled it down to 15 by the final buzzer.

Carolina shot 10-13 (76.9 percent) in its strong opening quarter, but finished just 13-36 (36.1 percent) across the final three periods. Nivar (17 points) and Aarnisalo (16) led the tar Heels in scoring, while Ciera Toomey added 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Texas punished UNC for its sloppy play, turning 20 Tar Heel turnovers into 24 points. On the other side, the Longhorns committed just eight turnovers. Texas also held decisive advantages in assists (15-7) and bench points (27-10). UNC’s seven assists were by far a season low, and its 20 turnovers were a season high. Taliyah Henderson was the only Tar Heel to play in the game who was not assessed a turnover.

The loss drops UNC to 8-2 overall this season. Carolina will return home to Carmichael Arena when it hosts Boston University Sunday at 12 p.m.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Eric Gay

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 in the 2026 ACC Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Times
Carolina will begin 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 quarterfinal game Friday. 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 […]
UNC Women's Basketball's Nivar, Harris, Brooks Each Earn All-ACC Honors
UNC’s Nyla Harris, Nyla Brooks and Indya Nivar each earned all-conference recognition from the ACC Tuesday. Harris was the top vote-getter on the second team while Nivar was named to the All-Defensive team and Brooks was named to the All-Freshman team. Brooks also received votes for Sixth Player of the Year. Harris, playing her lone […]
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 Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Up to No. 17, Women Up to No. 16
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams both rose in the latest editions of the AP Poll, which were released Monday. The men’s team rose one spot to No. 17, while the women’s team rose five spots to No. 16. The No. 17 Tar Heel men won a pair of home games last week, defeating […]
Chansky's Notebook: Bigger Challenges
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams took important steps forward on Saturday and Sunday and have positioned themselves well for March.
UNC Women's Basketball Beats No. 12 Duke in Regular Season Finale
Elina Aarnisalo set a new career high with 22 points to help UNC beat No. 12 Duke 74-69 at Carmichael Arena Sunday afternoon in the final game of the regular season. 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘. FIVE straight wins at home vs. Duke!@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/Pz3oaTySbQ — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) March 1, 2026 The Tar Heels overcame […]
UNC Women's Basketball vs. Duke (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will wrap up the regular season Sunday when it hosts No. 12 Duke at Carmichael Arena. The Tar Heels are looking to avenge a 72-68 loss to the Blue Devils in Durham on Feb. 15. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those […]
UNC Women's Basketball Beats Virginia, Clinches ACC Tournament Double Bye
UNC made a program-record 16 three-pointers and shot 58 percent from the field in an 82-70 win at Virginia Thursday night. The victory clinches a double bye to the quarterfinal round of next week’s ACC Tournament for Carolina. It’s just the second time the Tar Heels have earned a double bye under head coach Courtney […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Drop to No. 18, Women Rise to No. 21
The UNC men’s basketball team dropped two spots to No. 18 in the latest AP Poll, while the women’s team rose one spot to No. 21. Both polls were released Monday. The men’s team split its pair of games during the past week. The Tar Heels lost badly at NC State Tuesday night in Raleigh, […]
UNC Women's Basketball Uses Big 2nd Quarter to Beat Pitt in Chapel Hill
UNC scored 30 points in the second quarter to flip Sunday’s game against Pitt in Chapel Hill, and the Tar Heels continued piling on after halftime in a 78-50 win. Make that 𝙏𝙒𝙀𝙇𝙑𝙀 ACC Wins!@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/HQnP9sA2B4 — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) February 22, 2026 UNC had trailed the entire first quarter as Pitt, […]
›