To beat a team when you are a 29.5 point underdog, you need to do everything right. Shots have to go in, the defense has to be on point, your opponent needs to make a ton of mistakes, you need to hold onto the ball, and you need to rebound missed shots.
The defense wasn’t a problem for the Tar Heels as they held UConn to their lowest first half point total of the season. Unfortunately nothing else really went right for Carolina as they couldn’t hit from outside, missed a ton of layups, and had 24
turnovers against the UConn Huskies. UConn struggled in the beginning but used a 20-5 third quarter to win the Sweet Sixteen matchup going away, 63-42.
For the Tar Heels, Indya Navar carried the team on her back in her final collegiate game. Navar scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and was able to get four blocks. No one else for Carolina was able to approach double digits though, and a 4-22 performance from behind the arch and 17-60 overall would doom the Tar Heels to their season-ending in the Sweet Sixteen yet again.
Sarah Strong was a beast for UConn, scoring 21 as the rest of the Huskies struggled at the start. Blanca Quinonez poured in 16 later, and the Huskies were able to tick their shooting percentage back up to over 40% for the game.
The first quarter offered some hope for Carolina, as the defense showed out strong and limited the Huskies to just eleven points. Methodically the Tar Heels were able to take advantage, and by the time the horn sounded they actually had a lead 12-11. However, UConn started to assert itself—mostly by grabbing rebounds—and ended the second quarter up 28-20.
The third quarter was all UConn as the Tar Heels didn’t score until there was 4:22 left in the frame, and by that point UConn had stretched the score to a 41-22 lead. The Tar Heels never were able to get closer, and while UConn didn’t run away and hide like they have with other teams throughout the year, the effort for Carolina just wasn’t enough to overcome the national title favorites.
Carolina ends the year at 27-8, finishing the highest in the ACC they have under Courtney Banghart, hosting a regional for the second straight year, and solid momentum as they welcome the National Player of the Year Kate Harpring the Chapel Hill. Player movement with the transfer portal always makes the year-to-year roster a concern, but the Tar Heels should be returning a strong, experienced team to play with Harpring. Someone with her skill also could be very attractive for some players to transfer into Chapel Hill.
The Huskies will now move on to play Notre Dame in the Elite Eight for the right to head on to Phoenix. Notre Dame upset Vanderbilt in the first game in Fort Worth, giving the ACC at least one team in the Elite Eight in a supposed down year for the conference.
