The Carolina women are heading back to the Sweet 16 after a thrilling win over Maryland, marking the first time the Tar Heels have reached the second weekend in consecutive seasons since doing so in 2014 and 2015.
It was an extremely tight race for player of the game, but I have to give it to Lanie Grant. The 18-year-old(!) sophomore converted a tough drive to the basket to put UNC up 70-62 with 49 seconds to go, then made two free throws to get the lead back to eight with 31 seconds left. She finished
with 20 points (one short of her career high), four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
For me, Grant’s clutch scoring was ultimately what put her ahead of fellow sophomore Elina Aarnisalo, who had a similarly outstanding game with 21 points (similarly to Grant, just one short of her career high), six rebounds, and two assists. Aarnisalo helped Carolina get off to a strong start, making four of her first five shots as the Tar Heels built a 22-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. She also threw a nice pass to Nyla Brooks for a huge 3-pointer that gave UNC a 68-62 lead with 1:43 remaining in the fourth.
This was Carolina’s first game in two seasons with multiple 20-point scorers, and it couldn’t have come at a much better time. The Tar Heels will presumably be facing UConn in the Sweet 16 on Friday (the Huskies play Syracuse at 6:00 PM ET tonight); while knocking off Geno Auriemma’s squad will be a monumental task, Grant and Aarnisalo replicating their second round performances could at least make things interesting.
