A go-ahead basket from Florida Gulf Coast with 7.9 seconds left sent the UNC women’s basketball team to its second straight loss, 65-64, at the Gulf Coast Showcase on Sunday. Carolina is now 5-2 on the season.

The loss sours the best effort of the season from senior guard Deja Kelly, who scored a game-high 24 points on 7-15 shooting. It’s Kelly’s first 20-point outing of the season and the 22nd of her collegiate career. Boston College transfer Maria Gakdeng also played well, tying her career high with 22 points. Gakdeng didn’t miss a shot all night, shooting 8-8 from the floor and 6-6 on free throws.

Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, offense was hard to come by outside of that duo. No other player scored more than eight, with starters Alyssa Ustby, Kayla McPherson and Lexi Donarski combining for only six. McPherson and Donarski didn’t make a shot from the field.

Carolina’s shot-making did improve against the Eagles, as UNC finished 21-41 (51.2) percent from the floor. It’s the first time the Tar Heels have shot above 50 percent all season. That efficient play helped Carolina lead at the half for the first time in the showcase, 33-31. That lead extended to as many as seven points early in the third quarter, but the Eagles closed strong to take a 52-50 lead into the fourth.

Free throws from Gakdeng and a personal 6-0 run from Kelly gave Carolina the lead again at 58-55 with 7:32 remaining, but the Tar Heels would make only two more field goals from that point on. A McPherson free throw with 3:45 left put UNC up 64-61 and would be the last Carolina point of the evening. FGCU cut the lead to a point 12 seconds later, then finally took the lead with 7.9 seconds left. Kelly’s last-second jumper missed, sealing the loss for the Tar Heels.

Carolina’s two defeats at the Gulf Coast Showcase are the program’s first losses in the month of November in Banghart’s five-year tenure. The road doesn’t get any easier for Banghart and the Tar Heels, as the team will return home to host top-ranked South Carolina on Thursday at 7 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

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