UNC Women’s Basketball Uses Huge Runs to Crush Boston College

UNC used runs of 18-0 and 26-0 to soar past Boston College 90-39 Monday night in its return from the holiday break. The win is Carolina’s first in ACC play this season.

The 18-0 run came after the Tar Heels had already built a sizable lead of 30-18 midway through the second quarter. Reniya Kelly scored seven points during the run, with Nyla Harris and Nyla Brooks each adding baskets to give UNC a 46-18 lead at halftime. Ciera Toomey scored the first points of the third quarter to cap off the run and give the Tar Heels a 30-point advantage.

The Carolina lead stood at 55-31 midway through the third when its second run began. This time, it was Elina Aarnisalo sparking the avalanche with a three-pointer and a pair of layups. Brooks, Taliyah Henderson, Blanca Thomas and Laila Hull would all pile on, with the freshman Brooks scoring seven consecutive points early in the fourth quarter. By the end of the run, which only took about eight minutes of game time across two periods, UNC’s 55-31 lead had ballooned to 81-31.

As a team, UNC shot 38-66 (57.6 percent) from the field, including a 30-41 (73.2 percent) mark on two-point shots. Harris led the way with a season-high 19 points on 9-11 shooting, while Brooks added 15 in 20 minutes off the bench. Of the 14 Tar Heels to play in Monday’s game, 10 found their way onto the score sheet. All played at least five minutes. On the other side, Boston College languished at 13-61 (21.3 percent) from the floor. It’s the lowest shooting percentage UNC has allowed this season.

The Tar Heels held decisive advantages in numerous categories. UNC outscored Boston College 52-14 in points in the paint, 42-27 in bench points, 18-6 in fast-break points and 22-11 in points off turnovers. The Tar Heels also outrebounded the Eagles 47-31 and won the assist battle 24-6.

The 51-point margin of victory is Carolina’s largest of the season, the second-largest in a road game in head coach Courtney Banghart’s seven-year tenure and the largest in her tenure in an ACC road game. Now 12-3 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, UNC will return home and host Cal on New Year’s Day at 12 p.m. in Carmichael Arena.

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

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