CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Nyla Harris scored 17 points, Lanie Grant had 15 and North Carolina rolled past cold-shooting Western Illinois 82-51 on Friday night in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament.
Nyla Brooks added 14 points and Indya Nivar had 11 as the Tar Heels, hosting games on the opening weekend for the second year in a row, won a first-round game for the fifth straight season.
Fourth-seeded North Carolina (27-7) will meet fifth-seeded
Maryland, a 99-67 winner over Murray State in the site’s first game, on Sunday in the second round.
Mia Nicastro scored 21 points for No. 13 seed Western Illinois (26-6), which shot 30.4% from the field. The Leathernecks were 2 for 15 on 3-pointers. Nicastro shot 6 for 15 from the floor and 9 for 10 on free throws, coming up just short of her 24.2 points per game scoring average.
Grant made four of North Carolina’s 10 3-point baskets. Harris had 12 rebounds as part of the Tar Heels’ 47-32 edge on the boards.
North Carolina built a 23-11 lead while the Leathernecks made only three of their first 17 shots. The Tar Heels had a 38-24 halftime lead, holding Western Illinois to 25% shooting without a 3-point basket.
Western Illinois concluded its second winning season in the last eight years with its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.
In a matchup of former Atlantic Coast Conference rivals, North Carolina will play Maryland with the right to advance to the Sweet 16.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
