Spurred by junior She’La White, the North Carolina women’s basketball team fought back Virginia’s quick lead in Carmichael on Friday.
Back-to-back treys from the guard’s hot hands propelled No. 15 UNC into a momentum-changing run that eventually led the Tar Heels to a 64-52 victory.
“When we put She’La in there, she really gave us a spark and made some quick buckets,” Hatchell said. “And she knows that’s what she’s supposed to do.”
That run was all it took.
While UVa. piled up 20 turnovers, the Tar Heels picked up easy transition points to lead North Carolina far from Virginia’s grasp.
White led the team with 14 points, just one point ahead of Laura Broomfield’s double-double performance. With senior Jessica Breland sidelined with a knee injury and junior Chay Shegog also missing from the starting five with a concussion, Broomfield took advantage of an expanded role.
Broomfield and sophomore Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, who played in post to round out UNC’s depth, combined for 23 of the Tar Heels’ 52 boards as North Carolina out-rebounded the Cavaliers by 18.
“The rebounding made a really big difference out there,” UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “If we made our foul shots we would have scored 80 points or more.”
