By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — After never getting to the free-throw line in the loss two weeks earlier at Duke, it seemed fitting that North Carolina got revenge by putting the game away at the line.
The No. 21 Tar Heels made 15 of 18 shots at the line in the fourth quarter and held on to upset No. 12 Duke 74–69 before a sellout Carmichael Arena crowd for their 12th win in the last 13 games.
UNC coach Courtney Banghart, who called the contrasting foul situation between games “fascinating,” said her team embraced the contact this time.
“I thought the physicality that we were willing to play with and through [made a difference],” she said after her 150th win at Carolina but first this season against a ranked team. “There’s a lot of on and off ball, having to play through that, and so they had to foul late, which kind of skews the numbers a little bit.”
Free-throw shooting cost the Tar Heels in two league overtime losses; it’s becoming a strength for UNC.
Sophomore guard Elina Aarnisalo delivered a career-high for the second consecutive game, this time with 22 points, while equaling the career-high four 3-pointers she hit Thursday at Virginia.
Banghart tied the surge for the sophomore Finnish guard, who hit huge buzzer-beating jumpers at the ends of the first and third quarters, to her evolution.
“I think for E, her being aggressive is critical,” said Banghart, who has many times described her as a nice kid. “She’s let us really push her to be more aggressive, to get on the glass, to have more defensive presence, and she makes us a better team. Her maturation is partly why we’re getting better.”
Duke coach Kara Lawson highlighted Aarnisalo’s shot-making.
“She played really well today,” Lawson said. “She definitely was a difference-maker with her shooting the ball.”
UNC (25–6, 14–4 ACC) has played itself firmly into the NCAA tournament hosting conversation by knocking off league-leading Duke (21–8, 16–1) for the Tar Heels’ fifth consecutive home win over their rivals, the longest streak since winning from 1976 to 1985.
Banghart said the growth has been steady.
“We always say that the most dangerous teams are the ones that keep getting better,” she said. “We’re a whole lot better than we were in December.”
The Tar Heels dominated the glass 45–33. Ciera Toomey grabbed eight rebounds, and Aarnisalo was one of three Tar Heels with seven.
Senior forward Nyla Harris and senior guard Indya Nivar went out in style in their final regular-season home games.
“This rivalry means so much, and to win it on senior night means so much to me,” Nivar told ACC Network. “The Triangle has a lot of good teams, and the game is always tough. It’s whoever’s going to play the toughest and who’s going to stay connected through the tough times, through the highs and lows of the game. And I feel like tonight was our night.”
Harris poured in 19 points and made nine of UNC’s 20 free throws (the most by a UNC player this season), which tied a season-high.
Nivar collected nine points, seven rebounds and a game-high five steals, and hounded Duke star Ashlon Jackson, something Banghart says Nivar does against the opponent’s best player every game.
“Her ability to be disruptive, active and attentive and concentrate and do it for so many minutes is remarkable,” Banghart said of Nivar. “I just don’t worry about the other team’s best players as long as Indy is in the game.”
Duke, which has lost two of its last three, jumped out to a 10–3 lead on Jackson’s deep 3-pointer five minutes in as UNC missed seven of its first eight shots.
Harris had all six of her first-quarter points during a 10–4 closing run, capped by Aarnisalo’s buzzer-beating jumper to cut the deficit to 14–13.
A Nyla Brooks 3-pointer and a Laila Hull jumper produced UNC’s first lead, 18–14, just over a minute into the second quarter.
Two Riley Nelson jumpers, including a 3 with 3:06 left in the half, pushed Duke’s lead back up six before Nivar’s late jumper trimmed it to 31–29 by halftime.
Threes from Lanie Grant (10 points, 2 3-pointers) and Toomey opened a 7–0 UNC run for a five-point lead early in the third. Carolina’s first four second‑half field goals were 3-pointers, with Aarnisalo’s fourth of the day putting UNC up six with 4:56 left in the period.
Her 3-pointer at the buzzer sent the Tar Heels to the fourth with a 52–47 cushion.
Duke scored the first four points of the quarter before two free throws and a bucket by Harris nudged the lead back to five. Nelson and Jackson buried consecutive threes in a 7–0 surge that gave the Blue Devils a two-point edge with 5:30 remaining.
UNC wouldn’t let the lead disappear, though. Aarnisalo’s free throws put the Tar Heels back in front during an 11–3 run. Two more by Harris made it 66–60 with 1:38 to play before Taina Mair’s 3 cut it to three with 52 seconds left.
Nivar, Toomey and Grant each split two free-throw attempts in the final 41.2 seconds, with Grant’s free throw with 25 seconds left restoring a four-point margin.
With a chance to pull within two, Duke’s Toby Fournier missed a layup and fouled out seconds later with 12 points; Delaney Thomas had already fouled out with 12.
After Arianna Roberson missed a 3-pointer, Aarnisalo and Toomey each sank two free throws in the last 21.5 seconds to close it out.
“It’s as simple as making plays,” Lawson said. “They made plays and executed, and we didn’t. And in a game where the margin is slim, that’s the difference.”
Jackson led four Blue Devils in double figures with 17 points, but she finished 5 for 13.
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Notes
— Carolina will play its first game in the ACC tournament at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga., at 7:30 Friday night in the quarterfinals. The Tar Heels will play the winner of Thursday’s 7:30 game between Virginia Tech and the winner of Wednesday’s 4 p.m. first-round game between Georgia Tech and Florida State.
— UNC began league play 2–3, and has gone 12–1 since then.
— After Sunday’s results, Carolina fell two spots in the NET to 19 but moved up two spots in WAB to 14.
— In the last two games, Aarnisalo has 42 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and eight 3-pointers.
— Grant’s free throw attempts with 8:08 left in the first quarter were UNC’s first in 47:15 of game action against Duke. The previous attempts came late in the Sweet 16 loss last season. Since that game, UNC hadn’t been in the bonus against Duke until late in the third quarter.
— Carolina took a 57–56 lead in the all-time series with Duke, moving to 33–16 at Carmichael and snapping a three-game losing streak to the Blue Devils.
— Reniya Kelly (lower body) missed her seventh consecutive game. Banghart continues to say she hopes Kelly will play again this season, whether it be in the ACC or the NCAA tournaments.
— Toomey’s mom, Carrie, attended only her second home game this season because she stays busy as a high school coach in Pennsylvania. Her Dunmore High School team just won a district title. Her dad, Patrick, was at the game after also going to Thursday’s game at Virginia.
— Maria Gakdeng, who has a two-week break between the regular season and playoffs for her KSC Szekszárd team in Hungary’s A‑Division, was at the game.
— Guard Kate Harpring, the top-rated recruit in the Class of 2026 and headed to UNC, was at the game and recognized during a timeout after the first quarter.
— Sylvia Hatchell was at the game, donning a black jacket with “1994 national champions” on the back, sitting courtside with Ivory Latta.
— There were several UNC men’s players at the game.
—Joseph Vaszily, Tiara Cruse and Mark Reschwere the referees, meaning the Tar Heels haven’t seen any of the three officials who worked the game at Duke (Pulani Spurlock, Maj Forsberg and Kaite Lukanich) since that game.
No. 21 UNC 74, No. 12 Duke 69
| Team | League | Overall | NET* | WAB* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 13 Duke | 16–2 | 21–8 | 10 | 13 |
| No. 12 Louisville | 15–3 | 25–6 | 13 | 10 |
| No. 16 North Carolina | 14–4 | 25–6 | 19 | 14 |
| N.C. State | 13–5 | 20–9 | 23 | 27 |
| Syracuse | 12–6 | 22–7 | 40 | 31 |
| Virginia Tech | 12–6 | 22–8 | 41 | 34 |
| Notre Dame | 12–6 | 20–9 | 24 | 23 |
| Clemson | 11–7 | 20–10 | 44 | 40 |
| Virginia | 11–7 | 19–10 | 36 | 49 |
| California | 9–9 | 18–13 | 53 | 60 |
| Stanford | 8–10 | 19–12 | 42 | 56 |
| Miami | 8–10 | 16–13 | 58 | 65 |
| Georgia Tech | 7–10 | 12–17 | 76 | 109 |
| Florida State | 5–13 | 10–20 | 107 | 138 |
| Wake Forest | 4–14 | 14–16 | 121 | 134 |
| SMU | 2–16 | 9–21 | 220 | 209 |
| Pittsburgh | 1–17 | 8–23 | 262 | 238 |
| Boston College | 1–17 | 5–26 | 247 | 283 |
* — Through Sunday games
Thursday’s results
No. 16 North Carolina 82, Virginia 70
No. 12 Louisville 69, Georgia Tech 50
Notre Dame 72, Syracuse 62
Miami 79, Pittsburgh 58
N.C. State 65, Wake Forest 58
No. 13 Duke 80, Florida State 52
Stanford 87, SMU 57
Clemson 70, California 63
Sunday’s results
No. 16 North Carolina 74, No. 13 Duke 69
Virginia Tech 83, Virginia 82
Georgia Tech 79, Miami 49
N.C. State 93, Pittsburgh 43
Stanford 85, Clemson 50
Syracuse 90, Boston College 65
Notre Dame 65, No. 12 Louisville 62
Florida State 77, Wake Forest 74, OT
California 78, SMU 34
End of regular season
ACC tournament
Gas South Arena
Duluth, Ga.
March 4–8
ACC tournament
Gas South Arena | Duluth, Ga.
Wednesday’s first round (ACC Network)
No. 12 Miami (16–13) vs. No. 13 Stanford (19–12), 11 a.m.
No. 10 California (18–13) vs. No. 15 Wake Forest (14–16), 1:30
No. 14 Florida State (10–20) vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech (13–17), 4 p.m.
Thursday’s second round (ACC Network)
No. 8 Virginia (19–10) vs. No. 9 Clemson (20–10), 11 a.m.
No. 5 Notre Dame (20–9) vs. Miami-Stanford winner, 1:30
No. 7 Syracuse (22–7) vs. Cal-Wake Forest winner, 5 p.m.
No. 6 Virginia Tech (22–8) vs. Ga. Tech-FSU winner, 7:30
Friday’s quarterfinals
No. 1 Duke (21–8) vs. Virginia-Clemson winner, 11 a.m., ESPN2
No. 5 N.C. State (20–9) vs. 1:30 Thursday winner, 1:30, ACC Network
No. 2 Louisville (25–6) vs. 5 p.m. Thursday winner, 5 p.m., ESPN2
No. 3 North Carolina (25–6) vs. 7:30 Thursday winner, 7:30, ACC Network
Saturday’s semifinals (ESPN2)
Winners of the first two quarterfinals, noon, ESPN2
Winners of the last two quarterfinals, 2:30, ESPN2
Sunday’s championship
1 p.m., ESPN
| 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. 12 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. 13 Duke | 21–6, 10–4 |
| 19 | Thursday | W, 66–63, OT | at Virginia Tech | 22–6, 11–4 |
| 22 | Sunday | W, 78–50 | vs. Pittsburgh | 23–6, 12–4 |
| 26 | Thursday | W, 82–70 | at Virginia | 24–6, 13–4 |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Sunday | W, 72–69 | vs. No. 13 Duke | 25–6, 14–4 |
| ACC tournament | Gas South Arena, Duluth, Ga. | |||
| 6 | Friday | 7:30 | Quarterfinal vs. Va. Tech, Ga. Tech or Florida State | ACCN |
| 7 | Saturday | 2:30 | (With Friday win): Semifinal vs. No. 12 Louisville, Syracuse, Cal or Wake Forest | ESPN2 |
| 8 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | Championship game | ESPN |
| 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 by Joshua Lawton
