The No. 24 North Carolina women’s basketball team (5-3) experienced their third consecutive defeat on Thursday night, falling 65-58 to No. 1 South Carolina (6-0) at Carmichael Arena.
Early in the game, North Carolina asserted dominance in the paint, causing South Carolina to struggle with their shots and commit turnovers. However, foul trouble, particularly for junior center Maria Gakdeng, and questionable shot selection plagued the Tar Heels throughout the game.
UNC began by forcing three consecutive turnovers from South Carolina. Their strong defense enabled them to sprint to a quick 6-0 lead in the opening quarter.
Graduate guard Lexi Donarski widened UNC's lead to 15-6 with two successive 3-pointers after the Gamecocks narrowed the gap to three points. A skirmish between senior forward Alyssa Ustby and South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins escalated, resulting in technical fouls for both Ustby and Watkins. Despite entering the game with the fifth-best national turnover margin, the Tar Heels forced six turnovers in the first quarter, closing with a 19-10 advantage.
Ustby showcased her prowess in the second quarter, grabbing two offensive rebounds in a single possession. However, North Carolina failed to capitalize on these opportunities, hampered by poor shot selection, shooting just over 22 percent. Nonetheless, UNC's dominance on the boards continued in the first half, securing 26 rebounds compared to South Carolina’s 18, leading North Carolina to a 29-26 halftime lead.
Late in the third quarter, UNC trailed 43-39 when Kelly sustained an injury while driving to the basket, forcing her to leave the court. South Carolina outscored the Tar Heels 21-12 in the third quarter, seizing a 47-41 lead.
In the final quarter, North Carolina quickly narrowed South Carolina's lead to just one point after Ustby assisted a wide-open Donarski for a three-pointer. Although South Carolina managed to extend their lead to six, the Tar Heels fought back, reducing the deficit to two after a Gakdeng layup and a Kelly free throw.
Despite a late surge by UNC, which saw them trim South Carolina's lead to three points, South Carolina held on for a 65-58 victory.
The Tar Heels aim to bounce back in their next game against UNC Greensboro next Wednesday at Carmichael Arena at 7 p.m.
