No. 3 seed North Carolina (29-7, 13-5 ACC) defeated No. 6 seed West Virginia (25-8, 13-5 Big 12) 58-47 on Monday night in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Carmichael Arena.
Thanks to strong defense in the second half, UNC advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022.
The game was a defensive battle in the first half, with North Carolina holding a narrow 24-21 lead at halftime. However, the Tar Heels surged in the third quarter with a more offensive approach. In the final quarter, UNC’s defense took over, causing a more than 10-minute scoring drought for West Virginia, which helped secure a comfortable win for the Tar Heels.
West Virginia’s aggressive press troubled UNC early on. Right after Maria Gakdeng won the opening tip, the Mountaineer backcourt pressured UNC’s Reniya Kelly, nearly causing a turnover.
Despite the pressure, North Carolina responded well and quickly gained a 10-4 lead, with every starter contributing at least one point. The Tar Heels’ defense was key, forcing four turnovers from West Virginia in the first six minutes and turning them into six points. Although UNC extended the lead to eight points, West Virginia tied the game 12-12 by the end of the first quarter. The Mountaineers struggled from beyond the arc, going 0-7, but their defense held UNC to 1-7 shooting in the final minutes of the first quarter.
Jordan Harrison hit West Virginia’s first 3-pointer early in the second quarter, giving the Mountaineers their first lead of the game. However, Lexi Donarski responded with an and-1 fast break layup to give UNC a 17-16 lead.
Both teams struggled to score for over three minutes, but Donarski managed a mid-range jumper to give UNC a slight advantage. The teams exchanged baskets, and UNC went into halftime with a 24-21 lead.
North Carolina dominated in the paint, limiting West Virginia to just 1-11 shooting from 3-point range and only six total field goals in the half.
The Tar Heels started the third quarter strong on offense, finding success on the offensive glass. Meanwhile, West Virginia got into foul trouble early, with five fouls called by the 5:47 mark of the quarter, including three fouls on one possession. One of those fouls was on Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Ja’naiya Quinerly, who ended the game with three total fouls.
With the score tied at 33-33, North Carolina went on a 12-3 run to finish the third quarter. The run was highlighted by a block from Indya Nivar on a desperation 3-pointer from Quinerly, followed by a euro-step layup just before the buzzer. UNC took a 45-38 lead into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, West Virginia accumulated five fouls before scoring any points, including a crucial foul that sent Kylee Blacksten to the bench after reaching her limit. At the same time, UNC’s Alyssa Ustby contributed four points, giving the Tar Heels an 11-point lead — their largest of the game.
UNC’s defense stepped up even more in the fourth quarter, as they did not allow a Mountaineer field goal for over 10 minutes, including 13 straight missed shots. West Virginia finished the night 2-21 from 3-point range.
Ustby led UNC with 21 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, and three steals. Donarski and Kelly each added 11 points, while Gakdeng and Nivar grabbed nine rebounds each.
With the win, North Carolina advances to the Sweet 16, where they will face rival Duke for the third time this season. The highly anticipated matchup is set for Friday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
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