UNC’s defense held Clemson without a made basket for the final 9:01 of Thursday’s game at Carmichael Arena, propelling the Tar Heels to a 53-44 victory over the Tigers.
In a contest where offense was hard to come by for both teams, UNC surged in the third quarter, outscoring Clemson 19-12. This impressive run flipped a two-point halftime deficit into a 41-36 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Clemson briefly cut the lead to 43-39 with a three-pointer just 59 seconds into the final period. However, the Tigers failed to find the bottom of the net again, outside of free throws, for the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels sealed the win with key baskets from Nyla Brooks, Elina Aarnisalo, Indya Nivar, and Lanie Grant during the home stretch.
UNC finished strong, making five of its final eight shots after entering the fourth quarter shooting just 17-of-44 (38.6%) from the floor. Clemson struggled offensively throughout the night, converting only 13-of-49 attempts (26.5%) and never making more than three consecutive shots all game.
The Tigers had held their largest lead at 32-26 midway through the third quarter, but Carolina quickly responded with six consecutive made shots in a pivotal 12-2 run to close out the period.
Grant and Nyla Harris led the Tar Heels offensively, combining for 33 of UNC’s 53 points. Grant accounted for half of the team’s four three-pointers, while Harris contributed 10 rebounds to secure her fourth double-double of the season and second in the last three games.
Defensively, Thursday’s performance marked the ninth time this season—and third time in ACC play—that UNC held an opponent to fewer than 50 points. Additionally, the victory extended Carolina’s winning streak against Clemson to 10 games.
With the win, UNC improves to 19-5 overall and 8-3 in ACC play, sitting just a half-game behind Syracuse for third place in the conference standings. The Tar Heels also hold the tiebreaker over the Orange thanks to their head-to-head victory.
Carolina will look to continue its momentum and capture its seventh consecutive win when it visits Wake Forest on Sunday at 2 p.m.
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https://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-womens-basketball-grinds-past-clemson-to-win-6th-straight-game
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