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UNC WBB advances to Sweet 16 behind strong defense, 20-point scorers
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- UNC WBB advances to Sweet 16 behind strong defense, 20-point scorers
The UNC women's basketball team hosted Maryland on Sunday afternoon in Second Round NCAA Tournament action, with a second-straight Sweet 16 trip on the line for both programs.
This game lived up to the billing, with the Tar Heels and Terrapins playing a couple possessions within each other throughout. Every time North Carolina started to pull away, Maryland roared back.
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Thanks to a big fourth quarter, UNC held off the Terps , winning 74-66 and advancing to the Sweet 16 – for a second-consecutive season under head coach Courtney Banghart.
The Tar Heels (28-7, 14-4 ACC) entered halftime with a 9-point advantage, but Maryland (24-9, 11-7 Big 10) roared back to tie things heading into the fourth quarter. North Carolina responded with its best offensive quarter, scoring 24 points in the fourth.
Coming into Sunday's Second Round matchup , UNC knew it needed to limit the Terps' high-scoring attack. The Tar Heels held Maryland to 32 percent from the field, including a meager 13% from deep.
North Carolina enjoyed not one – but two 20-point outings from its players. UCLA transfer Elina Aarnisalo tied for a game-high 21 points, making eight shots from the field and all four free throw attempts. UNC point guard Lanie Grant added 20 points, continuing to prove herself as a reliable scoring threat.
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The Tar Heels shared the ball well, generating 10 assists in a game where iso ball proved a major factor. North Carolina survived 16 turnovers – and the Terps converting those into 13 points.
UNC now awaits its Sweet 16 opponent, which will be the winner of UConn and Syracuse, on Friday or Saturday. Can the Tar Heels pull off a major upset and shock the projected National Champions?
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Women's basketball moves on to Sweet 16 with win over Maryland
