A defensive grind: Three takeaways from UNC women’s basketball’s overtime win over Duke
Lexi Donarski squared up from the top of the key. North Carolina desperately needed a 3. Unbothered by her 0-for-5 night from beyond the arc, Donarski let it fly.
The graduate student hit the triple to put UNC ahead by three — arguably the biggest play of the game — and helped lead the Tar Heels to a hard-fought 53-46 overtime win Thursday.
In the first of two regular-season meetings between the rivals, No. 19 UNC toppled No. 14 Duke, ending the Heels’ two-game losing streak and handing the Blue Devils their first ACC loss this season.
Entering the game, UNC (14-3, 2-2 ACC) and Duke were among the best offenses and defenses in the nation this season, both averaging more than 74 points per game while holding opponents to fewer than 65 per contest. The Blue Devils (12-4, 3-1 ACC) came into Carmichael Arena undefeated in ACC play after outscoring their previous two opponents, 155-90.
It was defense on display Thursday. The teams combined for more possession changes via fouls (9) and turnovers (10) than points (14), while shooting 3 for 14 from the field and 0-1 from the perimeter in the opening quarter.
Things didn’t get much better offensively in the second quarter, either. Carolina scored 10 points and Duke added eight, heading into the locker room tied at 16 points each.
The teams made six field goals each, shooting less than 23%, in the first half — the worst first-half shooting percentage for either team this season. They combined for 17 personal fouls and 21 turnovers.
UNC, however, returned to the floor after the intermission with a much better flow to its offensive rhythm. The Tar Heels started the second half 5 of 6 from the field, including a stretch of three in a row, to take a 27-16 lead halfway through the third.
Meanwhile, the Heels’ defensive effort never let up and held the Blue Devils to 0 of 14 to start the second half. Duke did not score until the 1:42 mark.
Duke responded with a 10-0 run to end the third, shooting consecutive shots for the first time, cutting the Tar Heels’ lead to single digits. The Devils added a second 7-0 run midway through the fourth and put pressure on Carolina to maintain its lead. A pair of free throws from Duke’s Ashlon Jackson tied the game at 40 and sent the game into overtime.
“This is a tough game all the way around for us. This wasn’t really of the pleasurable viewing variety, probably for everybody,” Duke head coach Kara Lawson said. “It was a grind-it-out game. Proud of my team. We got down 16 there in that third quarter and kind of looked like it was going to be done there, and they just battled back and battled back.”
Lawson was also relieved to see her team perform well defensively and disrupt the Carolina offense, both teams ending with shooting percentages under 33%.
“We gave ourselves a chance,” Lawson said. “Our defense, thank goodness it was that good, because otherwise, with our offense, we wouldn’t have been in the game.”
UNC outscored Duke, 13-6, in the overtime period to pull out the win.
Senior Alyssa Ustby led the Tar Heels with 10 points and 12 rebounds, her seventh double-double of the season. She added a pair of blocks and two steals.
Jackson led the Blue Devils with 10 points, while Delaney Thomas and Jadyn Donovan contributed 10 and 11 rebounds, respectively.
“That’s what these games are about. I mean, certainly you want to win them, but it’s all a learning experience in terms of being in pressure situations, having to execute offensively defensively, having to get stops,” Lawson said. “This is why you play these games, to be able to put your players in this situation, and get minutes and get tape for them to see where they can improve.”
Here are three takewaways from the Tar Heels’ win over the Blue Devils.
Foul trouble plagues Gakdeng
Carolina played without center Maria Gakdeng for much of the first half due to foul trouble. Gakdeng picked up her first two personals in the game’s first 2:47.
She re-entered the game in the second quarter, but officials called her for a third foul less than two minutes in. She played five minutes in the first half and went 0 of 2 from the field, pulling down a pair of rebounds and adding an assist.
Gakdeng had averaged 16.6 points, while making 77.5% of her attempts, and 8.4 rebounds in her past five games.
She returned in the second half, making the first basket of the period, and showed her ability to move around defenders easily.
Officials then called her for a fourth foul 2:03 into the third quarter. She fouled out with 42 seconds remaining and finished with four points, four rebounds and two assists.
The Tar Heels will certainly need her presence inside as the ACC schedule continues, but it pulled off the win without her.
Duke offense sticks
Lawson’s squad is one of the best offensive teams in the country because it knows how to move on and off the ball. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, they didn’t show those abilities in Chapel Hill.
The Blue Devils didn’t record a single assist on their six first-half shots and finished with five, a season low. They went on its second-half runs and found the basket when they managed to move the ball — the Blue Devils recorded three of their assists in the fourth quarter.
Duke entered the game averaging 18.1 assists per game, ranking No. 21 in the nation and No. 3 in the ACC. Their ability to move the ball also meant they recorded an assist on 58.5% of their made baskets.
Lawson said the team would’ve likely added a few more assists had it been more effective in the post. It finished 7 of 24 on layups.
“When you look at our forward group, if you look at their efficiency on the season, they’re our most efficient offensive players,” Lawson said. “We just missed a ton of bunnies on the fast break, on the roll, on the put back.”
Between the Tar Heels’ defense and the Blue Devils’ inability to move the ball and make easy shots, Duke struggled in the first game of the series and often looked out of sorts against its rival.
A mess on both ends
UNC and Duke will want to burn the film from this one, notably for their lack of discipline. Both teams were called for multiple traveling violations, committed numerous bad pass turnovers, and the Heels were hit with a 10-second violation.
The teams combined for 47 turnovers, with Carolina eclipsing the 20-turnover mark in the fourth quarter. One turnover took place on what could’ve been a game-winning possession for UNC in regulation, but Ustby couldn’t handle the ball and gave possession back to the Blue Devils. Ustby committed 11 turnovers, giving herself the kind of triple double no player wants.
“Alyssa is hard to pick on, because she still gets a double double, and she’s going to give you everything she’s got,” Banghart said, “But, yeah, her ball control was — I mean, she hasn’t lost a Duke at home in her career. I don’t know why she was so tentative. It was fascinating.”
Duke and Carolina also combined for 40 personal fouls, leading to 43 free-throw attempts. Neither team shot well from the line, which probably would’ve made the game feel less like a defensive slugfest and given them more confidence on the offensive side of the ball.
Many of the scoring issues can be blamed on the sloppiness and breaks in play that ended without points. Had they played with a little more control, this game probably would’ve been played with better pace, efficiency and overall movement.
“It’s another top 25 win, another top 20 win at home, a really good team with a lot of physicality and toughness, a lot of emotion, and a rivalry game coming off of a loss that hurt our heart,” Banghart said. “That part matters, the nuance of what ever happened here. I don’t have a lot of answers for that.”
This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 9:47 PM.
