By R.L. Bynum
RALEIGH — Deja Kelly tried to will her way to a first victory at Reynolds Coliseum, took a hard fall and just kept fighting, but No. 24 North Carolina missed multiple golden chances in the final minutes.
A precarious three-point N.C. State lead for more than 3½ late minutes held up, and the No. 5 Wolfpack earned a 63–59 victory Thursday by holding UNC scoreless for the last nearly four minutes.
It was a fabulous environment for women’s college basketball, with a capacity crowd of 5,500 and plenty of good defense and drama at the end.
UNC (15–7, 7–3 ACC), which has lost two in a row, kept getting stops in the final minutes but came up empty on six consecutive possessions with that three-point deficit.
“We got a lot of good looks. We got three in a row that I liked,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. “There’s missed shots in the game. When they’re towards the end in a possession game, it hurts a little bit more.”
Kelly, who had four rebounds and three assists, scored 15 of her game-high 21 points in the third quarter to rally the Tar Heels from a 10-point third-quarter deficit, but didn’t score after taking a hard fall in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Reniya Kelly’s 3-pointer, her fifth straight point, cut the lead to three with 3:45 left, but they were Carolina’s final points.
Alyssa Ustby got tied up for a held ball with 26.1 seconds left, with State getting the ball on the alternating possession. Deja Kelly missed a layup attempt in a crowd with 14.3 seconds left. Lexi Donarski ran over State’s Aziaha James with 8.8 seconds left for an offensive foul, her fifth.
State’s Saniya Rivers (14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals) finally ended a nearly 4½-minute scoring drought for the Wolfpack (19–2, 7–2) by splitting a pair of free throws with 7.7 seconds left to clinch the victory.
N.C. State coach Wes Moore said that he stressed during that late stretch not to give up a 3-pointer, and made it a priority to guard the 3-point line.
“We didn’t need anybody sagging in the paint, even if their player was not really a really good perimeter shooter,” said Moore, whose team went without a field goal for the final 5:15. “Normally, we’d sag and help in that situation. But late in the game like that, we really tried to extend our defense and make sure if they picked on the ball, hand it off, we had somebody there to meet on when they came off of it.”
The game wouldn’t have been that close without Deja Kelly taking over in the third quarter. Carolina only scored three 3-pointers in the game, but she had two in that period on catch-and-shoot situations.
“I knew that we had to come out really aggressive in the third quarter because that’s what was gonna set the tone,” she said. “Offensively, I thought we were moving off each other. … I was just in takeover mode, and I think defensively also we got a lot of good stops, a lot of big stops, rebounds. So I think that’s where it started really on that end and we got a little off transition.”
Kelly, who came out of the game after the fall for less than two minutes, said she was fine and the fall had nothing to do with her missing all four shots in the fourth quarter, suggesting that her teammates were getting better shot chances.
“Deja gets a lot of attention. But what doesn’t get attention is the competitive spirit that she plays with and in the fearlessness that she plays with,” Banghart said.
Deja Kelly said that, down the stretch, it just came down to who made fewer mistakes.
“It’s a loud environment,” she said. “So, I think that’s why it feels more tense when their crowd is cheering for them. We try not to worry about it, but every possession matters.”
Senior UNC wing Alyssa Ustby (10 points, 11 rebounds, five steals and four assists) put up her 11th double-double of the season and 33rd of her career, playing the last 12 minutes with three fouls. Junior center Maria Gakdeng (10 points, 11 rebounds) also had a double-double.
“The rebounding battle is something that we always try to win,” Ustby said. “Maria and I take that to heart, and we just pursue the ball offensively and defensively and also keep in mind when we have to get back.”
Senior center Anya Poole played only 10 seconds, with senior forward Alexandra Zelaya playing for the first time in five games. Zelaya logged nearly 10 scoreless minutes with one rebound and two missed 3-point attempts after only combining for five minutes in her only two previous ACC games.
Her job was to make it hard for Wolfpack center River Baldwin, who finished with three points and six rebounds, thanks to defense from Zelaya and Gakdeng. Banghart said she also gave Zelaya the opportunity because of her 3-point shooting threat, her offensive confidence and her experience.
“I felt like Z can guard, she had good length,” Banghart said. “So, we felt like she could handle River without much problem. She has a very clear understanding of how to play offense with our group, so she moves the ball well.”
Gakdeng had some success against a not-so-agile Baldwin, who is still working back into shape after injuring her right ankle about a month ago.
Carolina overall played good defense, but the Pack took advantage of the cutting ability of multiple players on drives to create good scoring chances, getting good games from Mimi Collins (14 points, seven rebounds, two 3-pointers), James (10 points, two assists) and Zoe Brooks (10 points, two rebounds, two assists).
A pair of Deja Kelly jumpers capped an 8–2 UNC run to take a three-point lead five minutes into the game. Brooks scored four points as State finished the opening quarter with an 8–1 run to take a 15–12 edge after the Pack held UNC to four points in the last five minutes.
A Donarski jumper ignited a 10–3 run to erase a nine-point lead, tying it on Deja Kelly’s driving jumper with 4:37 left in the first half. State again finished a quarter strong, going on a 9–2 run with Collins’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer giving the Pack a 31–24 halftime lead.
After UNC missed its first seven 3-point attempts, Deja Kelly hit one with 7:45 left in the third quarter as part of a 14–5 run to slice what was a 10-point lead to one after a pair of layups by Indya Nivar and Ustby. After scoring six points in the first half, Deja Kelly scored 10 consecutive Carolina points.
Deja Kelly’s personal 5–2 run cut UNC’s deficit to 49–48 entering the fourth quarter.
Donarski’s jumper gave UNC its first lead since the game’s first seven minutes, and a Gakdeng follow shot put the Heels up 52–49 with 8:33 left.
State took a six-point lead when Collins’ long 2-pointer capped a 9–0 State run with 5:43 left before Reniya Kelly’s five points cut it to three.
NOTES — Carolina returns home at noon Saturday (ESPN2) to face No. 17 Virginia Tech (17–4, 8–2), which won at home Thursday against Virginia 76–63. … Both teams struggled from 3-point range, with State going 3 of 16 and UNC 4 of 18. … Sophomore guard Paulina Paris, whom the program still calls “day-to-day,” missed her fifth consecutive game with a lower-body injury. For the first time at a game, she used a crutch to support her left leg, a sign that she may have undergone a procedure. … It was Deja Kelly’s eight game with at least 20 points this season, including five in ACC games. … UNC made all five free-throw attempts but the makes and attempts were a season low, while the Wolfpack was 12 of 16. It was the fewest free-throw attempts by the Tar Heels since they were 2 of 4 from the line in a 78–64 loss at Florida State on Jan. 12, 2020. … It was UNC’s third loss to a team currently ranked in the top 5, including to No. 1 South Carolina and No. 2 Kansas State. … N.C. State leads the all-time series 64–54 and hasn’t lost to UNC in Reynolds Coliseum since the Tar Heels’ 64–51 victory in 2019. … Carolina is 15–23 against ranked teams under Banghart and 8–16 when both teams are ranked.
No. 5 N.C. State 63, No. 24 UNC 59
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 9 Duke | 14–0 | 19–6 | 10 |
| No. 8 Louisville | 14–1 | 24–4 | 9 |
| Syracuse | 11–4 | 21–5 | 38 |
| No. 22 North Carolina | 10–4 | 21–6 | 19 |
| N.C. State | 10–4 | 17–8 | 24 |
| Virginia Tech | 10–5 | 20–7 | 42 |
| Virginia | 10–5 | 18–8 | 41 |
| Clemson | 9–6 | 18–9 | 39 |
| Notre Dame | 8–6 | 16–9 | 28 |
| California | 7–7 | 16–11 | 55 |
| Georgia Tech | 6–8 | 11–15 | 86 |
| Stanford | 5–9 | 16–11 | 44 |
| Miami | 5–9 | 13–12 | 57 |
| Florida State | 4–10 | 9–17 | 107 |
| Wake Forest | 3–11 | 13–13 | 124 |
| SMU | 2–12 | 9–17 | 195 |
| Pittsburgh | 1–13 | 8–19 | 255 |
| Boston College | 0–15 | 4–23 | 252 |
* — Through Wednesday games
Thursday’s games
No. 22 North Carolina at Virginia Tech, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Notre Dame at Wake Forest, 6 p.m., ACCN Extra
Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m., ACCN Extra
California at Florida State, 6 p.m., ACCN Extra
N.C. State at No. 9 Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN
Boston College at SMU, 7:30, ACCN Extra
Stanford at Miami, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Sunday’s games
Virginia at No. 8 Louisville, noon, The CW
Pittsburgh at No. 22 North Carolina, noon, ACC Network
Wake Forest at Boston College, noon, ACCN Extra
No. 9 Duke at Clemson, 2 p.m.
Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
California at Miami, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
Stanford at Florida State, 2 p.m., ACC Network
Syracuse at N.C. State, 2 p.m., The CW
Notre Dame at SMU, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Thursday, Feb. 26, games
No. 8 Louisville at Georgia Tech, 6 p.m., ACC Network
No. 22 North Carolina at Virginia, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Syracuse at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Pittsburgh at Miami, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Wake Forest at N.C. State, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Florida State at No. 9 Duke, 8 p.m., ACC Network
SMU at Stanford, 10 p.m., ACCN Extra
Clemson at California, 10 p.m., ACCN Extra
| Date | Day/month | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 30 | Thursday | L, 91–82 | No. 3 South Carolina in Atlanta | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 90–42 | vs. N.C. Central | 1–0 |
| 6 | Thursday | W, 71–37 | vs. Elon | 2–0 |
| WBCA Challenge Las Vegas | ||||
| 13 | Thursday | L, 78–60 | vs. No. 2 UCLA | 2–1 |
| 15 | Saturday | W, 82–68 | vs. Fairfield | 3–1 |
| ——————————— | ||||
| 20 | Thursday | W, 85–50 | at N.C. A&T | 4–1 |
| 23 | Sunday | W, 94–48 | vs. UNCG | 5–1 |
| Cancun Challenge Cancun, Mexico | ||||
| 27 | Thursday | W, 83–48 | vs. South Dakota St. | 6–1 |
| 28 | Friday | W, 85–73 | vs. Kansas State | 7–1 |
| 29 | Saturday | W, 80–63 | vs. Columbia | 8–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge | |||
| 4 | Thursday | W, 79–64 | at No. 4 Texas | 8–2 |
| ——————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 82–40 | vs. Boston Univ. | 9–2 |
| 14 | Sunday | L, 76–66, OT | vs. No. 8 Louisville | 9–3, 0–1 ACC |
| 17 | Wednesday | W, 84–34 | vs. UNCW | 10–3 |
| 21 | Sunday | W, 93–74 | vs. Charleston Southern | 11–3 |
| 29 | Monday | W, 90–38 | at Boston College | 12–3, 1–1 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 1 | Thursday | W, 71–55 | vs. California | 13–3, 2–1 |
| 4 | Sunday | L, 77–71, OT | vs. Stanford | 13–4, 2–2 |
| 11 | Sunday | L, 73–50 | at Notre Dame | 13–5, 2–3 |
| 15 | Thursday | W, 73–62 | vs. Miami | 14–5, 3–3 |
| 18 | Sunday | W, 82–55 | at Florida State | 15–5, 4–3 |
| 22 | Thursday | W, 54–46 | at Georgia Tech | 16–5, 5–3 |
| 25 | Sunday | W, 77–71, OT | vs. Syracuse | 17–5, 6–3 |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | W, 61–59 | at N.C. State | 18–5, 7–3 |
| 5 | Thursday | W, 53–44 | vs. Clemson | 19–5, 8–3 |
| 8 | Sunday | W, 84–56 | vs. Wake Forest | 20–5, 9–3 |
| 12 | Thursday | W, 94–42 | vs. SMU | 21–5, 10–3 |
| 15 | Sunday | L, 72–68 | at No. 9 Duke | 21–6, 10–4 |
| 19 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | at Virginia Tech | ACCN |
| 22 | Sunday | Noon | vs. Pittsburgh | ACCN |
| 26 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | at Virginia | ACCN Extra |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Sunday | Noon | vs. No. 9 Duke | ESPN |
| ACC tournament | ||||
| 4–8 | Wed.-Sun | Gas South Arena, Duluth, Ga. | ||
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| 20–24 | Fri.-Mon. | First, second rounds | ||
| 27–30 | Fri.-Mon. | Regionals Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, Calif. | ||
| April | ||||
| 3, 5 | Fri., Sun | Final Four Phoenix |
Photos courtesy of UNC Athletics
