Finishing strong: UNC women’s basketball rallies past Boston College in ACC Tournament
North Carolina had only won a single ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament during Courtney Banghart’s tenure.
That changed Thursday, but not without nervous moments.
No. 5 seed UNC defeated No. 12 seed Boston College, 78-71, in a second-round matchup behind a strong finish in the final five minutes of play. The Tar Heels (26-5) rallied from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to earn the win and advance to play No. 4 Florida State at 11 a.m. Friday.
Boston College (16-17) pushed UNC with strong 3-point shooting (12 of 26, 46.2%). The Eagles had one stretch of seven consecutive makes from the arc and used a 9-0 run to take a 63-54 lead with 8:15 to play.
UNC, however, clawed back and retook a lead late in the game thanks to a 19-3 run and six fourth-quarter BC turnovers. The Tar Heels hit nine of their last 11 shots to claim the win.
“We all looked at each other and were like, ‘We’re not going to lose this game for our seniors and for each other,’” freshman Lanie Grant said. “We decided to not roll over and die, just keep fighting. That’s what this team has done all season.”
Lexi Donarski deserves credit for hitting clutch 3-pointers all afternoon, knocking down five catch-and-shoot 3s. Most of Donarski’s triples came at timely moments to swing momentum back in favor of the Heels. She finished with a team-leading 20 points by making 5 of 11 3-pointers.
Maria Gakdeng, who transferred from Boston College two years ago, scored six of her eight points in the fourth quarter for UNC. Gakdeng said she played soft in the first half, and part of the third. She committed to playing tougher in the fourth to help the team earn its second ACC Tournament under Banghart. The last ACC Tournament victory took place in 2023.
“We know what we’re capable of,” Gakdeng said. “It would be an insult to let a team we know we’re better than win over us. … We just play with a lot of heart, especially when we know we need to win a game.”
Additionally, Indya Nivar was one of the best all-around players for Carolina in the win. Nivar finished with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Alyssa Ustby returned to the starting lineup after missing three games with a knee injury and immediately made an impact for the Tar Heels. She scored four early points and pulled down two rebounds in her first four minutes of play. She finished with 11 points and six boards in her return.
“I just love playing basketball with my teammates, and there’s like nothing more that I would want (than) to be able to have another opportunity,” Ustby said. “I was just blessed that my training staff and strength coaches were able to get me back on the floor.”
Reniya Kelly, also recently injured, was prepared to play, but the Heels held her out for a third game.
North Carolina started the game ready to play and controlled play on both ends in the first five minutes, jumping out to an 11-0 lead after shooting 5 of 6 from the field.
On the defensive end, UNC held the Eagles to an 0-of-3 start with five turnovers. Boston College did not score until nearly five minutes had elapsed.
The Eagles, however, found their offense after the first timeout and shot 5 of 8 after its rough start and cut the Heels’ lead to two points. They trailed by four at the end of the first quarter.
UNC’s defense responded by forcing eight straight Boston College misses to regain a three-possession lead. It went to the locker room with a six-point lead. Carolina forced nine first-half Eagles turnovers, which it turned into 13 points.
Some of the Eagles’ early mistakes could likely be attributed to fatigue. During several runs, Boston College looked visibly tired. The team earned a spot in the quarterfinal game after defeating No. 13 seed Syracuse on Wednesday, coming back from a 19-point deficit.
BC returned to play with a renewed sense of urgency and out-scored UNC, 24-18, in the third quarter and the teams entered the final quarter tied at 54.
“We were just really working well together and getting good scores, and then we kind of just lost a little bit of focus,” Ustby said. “Boston College turned it up a little bit, but basketball is a game of runs. We had the first run, and we just had to weather the storm the rest of the way.”
The Tar Heels’ defense shut down Dontavia Waggoner and Teya Sidberry with ease in the first half. UNC was able to hold Waggoner for most of the game, but Sidberry finally broke free. Sidberry, who scored 24 points and a career-high 17 rebounds against Syracuse on Wednesday, scored five points in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer to tie the game at 54. She finished with 12 points.
Boston College dominated the 3-point line and Carolina couldn’t stop the shots from falling, despite switching between man and zone defenses. Boston College entered the game averaging 6.3 triples per game at a 32.9% clip. The Eagles finished with 12 baskets from outside the arc, tying their season high.
Waggoner, a former N.C. State player, entered the game after scoring a career-high 32 points in the Eagles’ win over Syracuse. Waggoner started 0 for 7 from the field and did not score until the third quarter. She contributed five points on 1 of 9 shooting and eight rebounds. Freshman Tatum Greene came off the bench and contributed a career-high 18 for the Eagles. Kaylah Ivey added 15 points, four rebounds and five assists.
“Greensboro, it’s been a tough place for us to play because we’ve had a hard time getting wins here,” Ustby said. “But, we’re able to turn the page and stay locked in and do what we need to do to keep our our team alive.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 1:15 PM.
