By R.L. Bynum
DURHAM — North Carolina’s women started Valentine’s Day week with more overtime heartbreak.
Unable to hold double-digit leads in each half, thanks to scoring droughts of more than five minutes, the Tar Heels lost 68–60 in overtime at Duke before a crowd of 9,314 at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
An inside Alyssa Ustby shot at the regulation buzzer that would have won it rimmed out.
“We weren’t good enough,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. “Obviously, we had a chance to win it there. And then, in overtime, they made more plays than us, and that seems to be the case. So, we’ve got to get better late or else this is a feeling we will continue to feel.”
The frustration of four consecutive losses when UNC (15–9, 7–5) could easily be on a three-game win streak had a couple of plays gone a different way, left senior guard Deja Kelly, who scored 18 of her 20 of her points after halftime, in disbelief.
“I think the emotion is just pissed off,” she said. “I think that there’s no other way to it. After the first loss, good, it was a lot of kumbaya stuff, and honestly, as a senior, I’m sick of that. So, I think, four losses in, your mentality has to be you’re pissed off.”
Deja Kelly got more scoring help Sunday with a resurgent effort from freshman Reniya Kelly (13 points, two assists) and a solid game on both ends from Lexi Donarski (11 points and two 3-pointers while holding Reigan Richardson to eight points). Still, UNC fell to 4–6 when Deja Kelly scores at least 20 points, pointing to the need for more consistently reliable other offensive weapons.
“We’re not good right now,” said Deja Kelly, who scored all six of UNC’s overtime points. “We can be, but we’re not right now, and we just have to continuously get better. We’ve got to find other people shots, but we need people to actually shoot it. We need to finish around the rim; we need to all defend, rebound better.”
A week after falling 70–61 in overtime to No. 16 Virginia Tech, Carolina couldn’t overcome foul trouble that led to two starters — Ustby and Donarski — fouling out and the Tar Heels only scoring 14 points and five field goals in the final 15 minutes.
Duke (16–7, 8–4) charged ahead in overtime just as the Hokies did, with Delaney Thomas scoring five of her team-high 19 points, getting many of her points during the game on pick-and-rolls.
“There’s an element of we’re taking too many contested shots late in the game,” Banghart said. “Not really having a guy that can get shots for other people, to be honest, at a high enough rate. They send two to the ball, and we’re having a tough time getting shots for other people late.”
Another one of Deja Kelly’s patented third-quarter scoring surges gave UNC a 14-point lead as she scored 13 points in that period. Kelly, who scored 15 points against No. 3 N.C. State and nine against No. 16 Virginia Tech in the third quarters of those losses, said the Tar Heels must change their approach.
“I think we just need more people with a different mentality, like a killer mentality,” said Deja Kelly, who scored at least 20 points for the 10th time this season and 31st time in her career. “We can’t just have one or two people, and that’s not just a sense of scoring points. That’s a mentality that whatever’s happening, I’m locked into what I need to do to help the team win, and there are too many ups and downs and lack of that. So, I think, moving forward, that has to shift, as well as a bunch of other things.”
Before Ustby’s miss at the end of regulation, Carolina didn’t score on two straight possessions with the score tied as Duke played tough defense and forced the Tar Heels to improvise at the end of the shot clock.
“We wanted to play through the ball screen and again have guards create,” Banghart said. “Get two on the ball so that we can get somebody else a shot. They didn’t do a good enough job at it. So, as a result, we took contested shots instead of getting open shots for each other. That’s something we have to just keep working on.”
Duke coach Kara Lawson said she tweaked her team’s approach in the final minutes.
“We just kind of got a little more aggressive with our ball-screen defense late in hopes that we wouldn’t give them a comfortable look,” she said.
With four UNC scholarship players out, including three for the season, the Tar Heels may have been worn down in overtime against Virginia Tech and Duke. Ten Blue Devils played at least 10 minutes and six played at least 23. Only two UNC reserves played more than 13 minutes, with Donarski and Reniya Kelly both playing more than 40 minutes.
“That’s the hand we’ve been dealt,” Banghart said. “The fact that we’ve got so many guys out is the story. But it doesn’t mean you fold your hands up and give up. It means you keep finding ways. And so the ones that are playing have to play better, and have to be well-enough conditioned to take that on.”
Carolina’s hopes of hosting first- and second-round games in the NCAA tournament are over, but Banghart said her team has a chance to flip the momentum.
“We’re not going to get better doing the same things,” Banghart said. “We’ve got to be able to play a little bit differently late. And if we do, I think these results can change.”
UNC started the game with an 11–4 run, led by five Renya Kelly points, including a 3-pointer, as it took Duke nearly three minutes to score.
“It was tough, to be honest; the environment was so hectic,” Reniya Kelly said. “So, just trying to get used to the crowd, trying to listen to Coach, it was really hectic. Overall, it’s a great feeling to play out there. I really enjoyed the environment.”
By the time Indya Nivar hit a free throw to end nearly a 5½-minute scoring drought for UNC’s next point, the lead was 12–10. Duke tied it on a Camilla Emsbo bucket before another Nivar free throw gave UNC a 13–12 lead heading into the second quarter.
Donarski’s mid-range jumper with 5:04 left in the first half gave UNC a five-point lead, but a 9–3 Duke run chopped it to one. Deja Kelly, who played only 13 first-half minutes after drawing her second foul with four minutes left in the first quarter, didn’t score until making two free throws with 2:29 left in the first half.
Two layups from Thomas, who had nine first-half points, sent the game to halftime with UNC leading 26–25.
Deja Kelly ignited an 11–0 rally to start the second half. She followed her first field goal, on a drive with 8:46 left in the third quarter, with a shot-clock, buzzer-beating jumper. The run ended with three-point plays from Ustby and Deja Kelly.
The lead ballooned to 14 when a Donarski 3-pointer and Deja Kelly layup ended a 10–5 UNC run as the Tar Heels took a 46–34 lead into the final quarter.
Duke scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to cut its deficit to six on a Thomas layup. Two Deja Kelly free throws ended a more than five-minute UNC scoring drought. But Thomas’ three-point play ended an 8–0 Duke run to tie it at 48.
After Reniya Kelly’s jumper with 3:23 left ended a nearly eight-minute UNC field-goal drought, Taina Mair’s 3-pointer gave Duke its first lead.
Deja Kelly’s corner 3-pointer, after Ustby rebounded a miss from the floor, gave UNC a quick lead in overtime. Ustby fouled out 24 seconds later on a blocking foul, finishing with six points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Reniya Kelly’s jumper with 3:01 left tied it to end a 5–0 Duke run. But Brown’s follow shot, a Richardson jumper and two Brown free throws gave Duke a six-point lead. A Mair 3 pushed the lead to seven with 55 seconds left.
Mair added 13 points for Duke and Jackson scored 10.
NOTES — Carolina enters a weak part of its conference schedule against the bottom two teams in the ACC, hosting Pittsburgh at 6 p.m. Thursday (ESPN3) and visiting Wake Forest at 6 p.m. Sunday. The Panthers (7–18, 1–10) lost Sunday 83–47 at No. 3 N.C. State and the Deacons (4–20, 0–12) lost 87–79 to Virginia at home on Sunday. … It was the first ACC game this season that UNC has lost after leading at halftime. … With 1,726 career points, Deja Kelly moved into 14th place on UNC’s career scoring list. … Donarski has 1,497 career points and will soon become the second Tar Heel, along with Deja Kelly, to pass the 1,500-point milestone this season. … It was the first time since 2012 that UNC has played consecutive overtime games. … Duke’s nine blocks were a high by a UNC opponent this season and the Blue Devils’ nine turnovers matched the low by an opponent. … It was the first UNC-Duke game to go into overtime since Carolina’s 92–86 win on Jan. 21, 2018, in Chapel Hill. … Although UNC continues to classify sophomore point guard Paulina Paris, who missed her seventh consecutive game, as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, it hasn’t ruled her out for the season. … UNC leads the all-time series with Duke 54–53, but the Blue Devils have won two straight meetings. … UNC was 18 of 21 from the free-throw line, led by Deja Kelly making all seven attempts. …
Duke 68, UNC 60, OT
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 
