3-pointers not enough against Blue Devils

DURHAM — It came at the buzzer, a last-second heave that meant both nothing and everything in the same instant.

It was the 14th; they had matched the school record.

No, the last shot wasn’t as glamorous as some of its brethren, but its worth, its value counted just the same. From the moment the ball left Allisha Gray’s hands, less than two seconds remaining in an already-decided contest, it was bound to kiss the bottom of the net.

But it didn’t matter — at least it didn’t Sunday afternoon.

By the time Gray’s desperate toss fell through the hoop, the No. 15 North Carolina women’s basketball team had already lost to No. 16 Duke. Her 25-footer — UNC’s 14th 3-pointer of the night — only confirmed the margin of loss: a one point, 81-80 heartbreaker.

“Even at the very end there, the last play, it would’ve been nice if we’d been only down by three,” Coach Sylvia Hatchell said.

Had they been, the night may have ended differently.

On a day marked by runs and surges of momentum, the long shot was a lone constant, an uncommon source of stability, for UNC. In the first half alone, Carolina-blue clad players buried seven of 11 attempts from behind the arc, good for 63.6 percent.

Coming into Sunday's game, the Tar Heels had shot under 30 percent from deep.

Perplexing as it was, the second half followed suit. After falling behind by as many as 15 in the second half, it was the 3- point shot — a source of perpetual strife for this year’s Tar Heels — that validated any attempt at a comeback.

“We’re a good shooting team,” said sophomore guard Jessica Washington, who made five 3-pointers Sunday. “Normally we do shoot well, actually, but I think it’s just knowing, with adversity, just keeping our minds right and not letting anything outside the lines of the basketball court get to us.”

Washington took that mantra to heart Sunday, perhaps more than any of her teammates.

With 9:24 left to play, the Tar Heels appeared sunk, down 63-48 and floundering in every offensive category. Turnovers, offensive fouls, flat out misses — the road to recovery was fading, if not already gone.

Therein lies the brilliance of the 3-pointer. When Washington sunk a 3-pointer from the top of the key, there was hope. Twenty-five seconds later, she buried another. Now that hope, once fleeting yet alive, had turned to momentum.

And so it grew. On the very next UNC possession, Brittany Rountree unleashed from 3-point land.

Splash.

Three shots, one minute — and a chance. That seemingly-insurmountable 63-48 mountain was now a mere 66-57 hole, primed for an overtaking.

But while that resurgence ultimately fell inches short — Gray’s would-be game-tying layup rolled just off the rim with three seconds left — at least it was possible.

All because of the three.

“Yes, they got too many 3s,” Duke coach Joanne McCallie said. “Give them credit for that.”

Against Duke, 3-pointers weren’t enough. UNC struggled with fouls, turnovers and pretty much anything that can plague a basketball team.

But for one of the first times all season, the 3-point line was welcoming for the Tar Heels. There was no 5-for-30 effort like the last time these teams matched up — in its stead was a 53.8 percent mark from behind the arc, courtesy of 14-of-26 shooting.

It may not have mattered this time around, the result prematurely settled. But in a week or even two, similar troubles will arise — no team is invincible, incapable of falling behind.

Maybe then a 3-pointer sparks a comeback bid, as was the case Sunday. Maybe then the 3-pointers continue to fall, over and over again without ceasing.

Maybe then that last shot wins the game.

sports@dailytarheel.com