Chapel Hill, N.C.

The North Carolina women’s basketball team ended a four-game losing streak with a 75-62 victory over Pitt on Thursday at Carmichael Arena. Four Tar Heels had double-digit scores in the game.

Lexi Donarski, a graduate student, was the top scorer with 20 points, 17 of which were achieved in the second half. She successfully made six three-pointers and had a 5-8 record from beyond the arc after halftime. Senior Deja Kelly contributed 17 points and had a strong performance at the free throw line, making 9 out of 11 shots. She also recorded five assists and three steals.

Alyssa Ustby, a senior, recorded her 12th double-double of the season and 34th of her career. This was her first time achieving a double-double with both points (14) and assists (10, matching her season high). She also had seven rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Teonni Key, a redshirt sophomore, scored 11 points in just 16 minutes and 25 seconds of playing time off the bench, making 5 out of 6 shots.

The overall record for the Tar Heels is now 16-9 and they have a record of 8-5 in ACC games. They will be playing a road game against Wake Forest on Sunday. Pitt’s record dropped to 7-19, with a conference record of 1-12.

All players on the court had a sluggish start, only scoring a total of 15 points in the first quarter while both teams had a low shooting percentage of under 22%. By halftime, Pitt was in the lead with a score of 29-27, thanks to making 5 out of 6 three-point shots in the second quarter.

After the intermission, the Tar Heels started strong with a streak of 8 points and a 4-5 record from beyond the arc in the initial five minutes of the third quarter. The Panthers responded with an 11-0 run, evening the score at 46-46 with two minutes remaining in the quarter. However, Carolina maintained a slim three-point lead heading into the final quarter.

In the final quarter, the home team maintained a 10-point lead and outscored the Panthers 24-14, ultimately securing a 13-point victory.

Liatu King was the top scorer for Pitt with a total of 16 points and also grabbed 14 rebounds, while Aaryn Battle contributed 11 points.

The University of North Carolina ended with 21 assists, which was their highest in ACC play, out of 24 successful shots.

The North Carolina basketball team made 10 three-point shots, achieving a double-digit score from beyond the arc for only the third time this season and the second time in ACC conference games.

Notes:

Donarski scored her first three points of the game, bringing her career total to 1,500 points. She ended the game with a total of 1,517 career points, 266 of which were earned this season while playing for UNC.

Ustby has now accumulated a total of 100 blocks in her career, with the recent addition of three more.

In the last four games, Kelly has made 32 out of 35 free throws with a percentage of .914.

Reniya Kelly, a first-year player, has been starting for the team in the last seven matches. However, she was unable to play in the game due to a lower-body injury and her status is currently listed as day-to-day. She joined teammates Paulina Paris (also day-to-day) and Kayla McPherson, Laila Hull, and Ciera Toomey (out for the rest of the season) on the sidelines.

Source: wralsportsfan.com