The No. 8 UNC women’s basketball team showcased its toughness Thursday at the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, OR, defeating No. 18 Oregon 85-79 in the tournament semifinals.

Carolina trailed for most of the first half and by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, but used a strong third period and dynamic performances from Alyssa Ustby and Eva Hodgson to claw back into the game. A Hodgson four-point play with 5:05 gave Carolina the lead for good, and Hodgson ended the night with 21 points (14 in the fourth quarter), surpassing a two-year high with the Tar Heels.

Ustby, meanwhile, totaled 19 points to tie a season-high and led the team with eight rebounds. She is the only Tar Heel to score in double figures in all five games this season. Deja Kelly (17 points), Anya Poole (11) and Kennedy Todd-Williams (10) each also reached the 10-point plateau, meaning all five UNC starters scored in double figures against the Ducks.

Sophomore wing Destiny Adams saw heavy minutes in the game’s critical final stretch, scoring five points and knocking down a key jumper to give Carolina a five-point lead with 1:55 remaining. Though Oregon shot over 50 percent for the night, they shot just 33 percent in the third quarter, which UNC won 17-11. The Tar Heels outscored the Ducks 46-35 in the second half and closed on a 21-10 run after falling behind 69-64.

The win in Portland is UNC’s highest-ranked victory away from Chapel Hill under fourth-year head coach Courtney Banghart. It also sends Carolina through to the Phil Knight Invitational’s championship game on Sunday to face off against No. 5 Iowa State, who beat Michigan State on Thursday.

 

Featured image via AP Photo/Rick Bowmer.

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