By R.L. Bynum
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Carolina overcame the crazy shots Miami made three days earlier when the 3-pointers kept coming, but the Tar Heels couldn’t counter Virginia’s perimeter onslaught on Sunday.
A game after the Hurricanes racked up 12 3-pointers, the Cavaliers hit 11 shots from outside the arc and controlled most of the game on their way to an 81–66 upset of the No. 20 Tar Heels and end their four-game win streak.
UNC (15–6, 7–2 ACC) led by 13 points early in the second quarter, but inconsistent play on both ends made for a long afternoon.
Carolina coach Courtney Banghart said her team was undisciplined many times during the game, but it was more about how well Virginia played.
“They made us kind of on our heels,” Banghart said. “Almost every third possession, [UNC would] be an undisciplined, either offense or defense with our response.”
Freshman point guard Reniya Kelly scored nine of her season-high 20 points in the first quarter, but played the last 8:46 with four fouls. She scored three of UNC’s nine points in the final quarter when UNC made only 3 of 15 shots.
“I think, as the game kept going, we kind of got a little bit complacent,” Reniya Kelly said. “I feel like we didn’t really do what we wanted to do.”
Up-and-down Virginia (9–9, 2–7), which played LSU close (losing 76–73) and won at Florida State 91–87 but lost Thursday at home to Pittsburgh 56–52, shot 58% from the floor and 57.9% from 3-point range (a season-high by a UNC opponent).
The Cavaliers, who came into the game shooting 28.1% from 3-point range, got four 3-pointers each from Kymora Johnson (25 points) and Sam Brunelle (14 points).
“When I look back to the Miami game, all but two of them were incredibly contested and at least three feet outside the arc,” Banghart said. “As I told these guys at halftime, if they’re going to shoot six for eight on open 3s, you’re going to get beat.”
Carolina played with a lead in the 66–61 win Thursday over Miami, but played from behind for most of Sunday and never could put together a late run.
UNC held Johnson to 10 points in its 81–68 win in Chapel Hill two weeks earlier. But Johnson, who scored 35 points at Florida State, was in a zone Sunday.
Banghart praised Johnson’s play but said the Heels didn’t do themselves any favors.
“We gave her two layups to start the game by not doing what we need to do,” Banghart said. “Our defensive breakdowns were certainly on us, and then we had to ride that throughout the rest of the game.”
Seniors Alyssa Ustby (13 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four blocks) and Deja Kelly (10 points, five assists and three rebounds) combined for two points in the fourth quarter.
“We can certainly call out Alyssa and Deja,” Banghart said. “They play really hard, but you have to be able to play disciplined when things aren’t going your way, and I don’t think they did that today.”
The schedule only gets tougher for UNC, visiting No. 7 N.C. State on Thursday and hosting No. 19 Virginia Tech on Sunday.
“What I’m happy with is we haven’t lost a game because the other team didn’t play well,” Banghart said. “They had to play really well to beat us.”
Carolina forced 16 turnovers but committed 17, making it tough to get some consistency on offense.
That word came up again when Ustby explained the biggest lesson from the defeat: discipline.
“It’s something that we don’t take lightly because that’s what works for us is locking into what we need to do,” Ustby said.
Banghart pointed out another example of undisciplined play, when Indya Nivar fouled out with 8:13 left. With the backcourt rotation already short, it didn’t help UNC’s cause down the stretch.
“She got an offensive-rebounding foul when she had four fouls,” Banghart said. “It’s just undisciplined.”
Reniya Kelly scored three 3-pointers in the first five minutes, outscoring Virginia 9–7 as UNC jumped out to a 16–7 lead. The third 3-pointer was part of an 11–0 run, which Ustby capped with a three-point play to give the Tar Heels a 12-point lead, and UNC led 25–16 after one quarter.
“In the first quarter, we’re moving the ball really well, and we were making our teammates’ jobs easier by getting them the ball when they’re open, and big shout out to 10,” Ustby said of Reniya Kelly. “But then the fourth quarter, when you’re down, you’re trying to get a quick score. And so sometimes that sacrifices a better look. So that’s just a tough thing to balance when you’re down.”
Four 3-pointers, two from Brunelle, sparked a 21–5 Cavaliers run to end the first half. Virginia took a one-point lead run on Cady Pauley’s 3 with 3:09 left in the first half. Two Maria Gakdeng inside buckets were UNC’s only field goals in the last 7:51 of the first half, and Virginia led 37–34 at halftime.
Johnson’s shot-clock buzzer-beating desperation 3-pointer started an 8–2 Virginia run at the beginning of the second half to push the lead to nine points.
An Ustby layup ended nearly a four-minute UNC field-goal drought and started an 8–3 run that Ustby capped with a layup to cut the lead to three. A Deja Kelly jumper sent the game into the fourth quarter with Virginia leading 60–57.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from London Clarkson and Brunelle led a 12–2 Virginia run that pushed the lead to 11 with 6:35 left. The Cavaliers finished the game with a 9–2 run.
NOTES — Carolina is on the road again at 8 p.m. Thursday in the first of two meetings with No. 7 N.C. State. The Wolfpack (18–2, 6–2) won 62–40 at Boston College on Sunday. … Sophomore guard Paulina Paris missed her fourth consecutive game. The program terms it a lower-body injury, but it appears to be a leg injury. … Virginia made 22 of 28 free-throw attempts, the most makes by a UNC opponent this season. … Many former Virginia players were part of a halftime ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the program. … It was the first loss in seven games with both Kellys, Donarski, Ustby and Gakdeng in the starting lineup. … Virginia snapped an eight-game skid against the Tar Heels, who still lead the all-time series 59–35. … Reniya Kelly became the third Tar Heel to play all 40 minutes in a game, Deja Kelly did it Sunday for the fourth time, and Lexi Donarski has done it three times.
Virginia 81, No. 20 UNC 66
ACC standings
| Team | League | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| No. 11 Virginia Tech | 14–4 | 23–6 |
| No. 10 N.C. State | 13–5 | 25–5 |
| No. 20 Syracuse | 13–5 | 23–6 |
| No. 14 Notre Dame | 13–5 | 23–6 |
| No. 24 Louisville | 12–6 | 23–8 |
| Florida State | 12–6 | 21–9 |
| Duke | 11–7 | 19–10 |
| North Carolina | 11–7 | 19–11 |
| Miami | 8–10 | 18–11 |
| Georgia Tech | 7–11 | 16–14 |
| Virginia | 7–11 | 15–14 |
| Boston College | 5–13 | 13–18 |
| Clemson | 5–13 | 12–18 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–16 | 8–23 |
| Wake Forest | 2–16 | 6–24 |
Sunday’s games
North Carolina 63, Duke 59
Boston College 84, Pittsburgh 58
No. 10 N.C. State 75, Wake Forest 57
No. 14 Notre Dame 74, No. 24 Louisville 58
Georgia Tech 71, Miami 66, OT
Florida State 82, Clemson 79
Virginia 80, No. 11 Virginia Tech 75
ACC tournament
Greensboro Coliseum
Wednesday-Sunday
| Date | Day/month | Score | Opponent/event (current rank) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | ||||
| 8 | Wednesday | W, 102–49 | vs. Gardner-Webb | 1–0 |
| 12 | Sunday | W, 74–70 | vs. Davidson | 2–0 |
| 15 | Wednesday | W, 62–32 | vs. Hampton | 3–0 |
| 18 | Saturday | W, 68–39 | vs. Elon | 4–0 |
| Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. | ||||
| 24 | Friday | W, 54–51 | Vermont | 5–0 |
| 25 | Saturday | L, 63–56 | No. 15 Kansas State | 5–1 |
| 26 | Sunday | L, 65–64 | Florida Gulf Coast | 5–2 |
| ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge | ||||
| 30 | Thursday | L, 65–58 | vs. No. 1 South Carolina | 5–3 |
| December | ||||
| 6 | Wednesday | W, 81–66 | vs. UNC Greensboro | 6–3 |
| Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Conn. | ||||
| 10 | Sunday | L, 76–64 | No. 10 Connecticut | 6–4 |
| ——————— | ||||
| 15 | Friday | W, 96–36 | vs. Western Carolina | 7–4 |
| Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte | ||||
| 19 | Tuesday | W, 61–52 | No. 18 Oklahoma | 8–4 |
| ACC season | ||||
| 31 | Sunday | W, 82–76 | vs. Clemson | 9–4, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 4 | Thursday | W, 75–51 | vs. No. 22 Syracuse | 10–4, 2–0 ACC |
| 7 | Sunday | W, 61–57 | at No. 9 Notre Dame | 11–4, 3–0 ACC |
| 11 | Thursday | L, 70–62 | at Florida State | 11–5, 3–1 ACC |
| 14 | Sunday | W, 81–68 | vs. Virginia | 12–5, 4–1 ACC |
| 18 | Thursday | W, 73–68 | at Georgia Tech | 13–5, 5–1 ACC |
| 21 | Sunday | W, 79–68 | vs. No. 23 Louisville | 14–5, 6–1 ACC |
| 25 | Thursday | W, 66–61 | vs. Miami | 15–5, 7–1 ACC |
| 28 | Sunday | L, 81–66 | at Virginia | 15–6, 7–2 ACC |
| February | ||||
| 1 | Thursday | L, 63–59 | at No. 11 N.C. State | 15–7, 7–3 ACC |
| 4 | Sunday | L, 70–61, OT | vs. No. 13 Virginia Tech | 15–8, 7–4 ACC |
| 11 | Sunday | L, 68–60, OT | at Duke | 15–9, 7–5 ACC |
| 15 | Thursday | W, 75–62 | vs. Pittsburgh | 16–9, 8–5 ACC |
| 18 | Sunday | W, 58–50 | at Wake Forest | 17–9, 9–5 ACC |
| 22 | Thursday | W, 80–70 | vs. No. 11 N.C. State | 18–9, 10–5 ACC |
| 25 | Sunday | L, 74–62 | at No. 13 Virginia Tech | 18–10, 10–6 ACC |
| 29 | Thursday | L, 78–74 | at Boston College | 18–11, 10–7 ACC |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | W, 63–59 | vs. Duke | 19–11, 11–7 ACC |
| ACC tournament Greensboro Coliseum | ||||
| 7 | Thursday | L, 60–59 | Second round: vs. Miami | 19–12 |
| NCAA tournament Columbia, S.C. | ||||
| 22 | Friday | W, 59–56 | First round: Michigan State | 20–12 |
| 24 | Sunday | L, 88–41 | Second round: No. 1 South Carolina | 20–13 |
Photos courtesy of UNC Athletics
tarheeltribune.com 
