Duke guard Haley Gorecki driving to the basket against UNC guard Shayla Bennett
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Despite Loss to Lady Blue Devils, Tar Heels Feel Confident Heading Into March

Landon Bost

CHAPEL HILL, NC – The North Carolina Lady Tar Heels (14-10, 5-5 ACC) lost 85-69 to the Duke Blue Devils (11-11, 3-7 ACC) last night after winning four straight games.

Tar Heels redshirt senior guard Paris Kea was inactive for due to illness.

“Let’s face it, (Kea) not being out there was huge,” Tar Heels head coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “I didn’t know until right before the game that she wasn’t going to play, and so we weren’t really able to adjust to her not being out there. I knew she wasn’t feeling well, but I thought she was ready to play: but things got worst.”

Kea’s absence put pressure on the Tar Heels’ guard spot. Redshirt junior guard Stephanie Watts, and junior guard Shayla Bennett, played 40 and 39 minutes respectively. Moreover, sophomore guard Leah Church played 28 minutes: twice more than her season average of 12.3 minutes per game.

Watts, Bennett and Church combined shot 8-31, 25.8%, from the field and 5-22, 22.7%, from the 3-point line.

Sophomore center Janelle Bailey finished as the Tar Heels’ leading scorer and rebounder with 23 points and eight rebounds.

Blue Devils redshirt junior guard Haley Gorecki recorded her seventh double-double of the year with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Also, Blue Devils sophomore forward Jade Williams recorded a career-high six assists

The Tar Heels went on a run late in the first quarter to end the quarter with a 24-18 lead. However, the Blue Devils went to a zone defense in the second quarter and went on an 18-2 run.

Tar Heels guard Shayla Bennett gliding through the air for a layup.

“I think just composure,” Gorecki said when asked about the run, “and using our speed and controlling tempo. UNC likes to play fast, obviously we do too, but with the numbers that we have; we have to control the tempo. So, I think we did a good job of that.”

The Blue Devils won the second quarter 22-7. The Tar Heels never recovered from their worst scoring quarter of the season.

Big Picture

The Tar Heels have six more games left this season before the 2019 ACC Tournament in Greensboro.

“Well it’s a big difference between State and Norte Dame than tonight,” Hatchell said when asked about the difference between the team and where she wants them to be come tournament time. “The team we’ve had the last two weeks: that’s our team…So, the team is where I want them to be: we will be fine.”

The Tar Heels are ranked-eighth in the conference. Four of their remaining games are against opponents with three wins or less in the ACC. Their other games are against the Clemson Tigers (15-8, 6-4 ACC), who are ranked one spot ahead of them in the ACC, and the NC State Wolfpack (21-2, 8-2 ACC) who dropped their second game of the year after the Tar Heels defeated them last Sunday in Raleigh.

If the ACC tournament started today, the Tar Heels would have a first-round bye. Moreover Charlie Creme, ESPN’s women’s college basketball bracketologist, has the Tar Heels as a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Barring any long-term absence of Kea, or any other essential player, the Tar Heels are well positioned to make it to the big dance for their first time since 2015.

What’s Next

The Blue Devils play the Virginia Cavaliers (9-14, 3-7 ACC) Sunday at 7 p.m. in Charlottesville, VA.

The Tar Heels travel to Clemson, SC to play the Tigers in Littlejohn Coliseum Sunday at 7 p.m.

“Tomorrow is a new day,” Bailey said when asked about responding to adversity, “and we’re going to wake up, and get ready for Clemson. Like (Hatchell) said, this one is behind us.”