Free throw differential dooms UNC women's basketball in loss

GREENSBORO — The exuberant shouts of victory echoed down the halls of the Greensboro Coliseum.

But the hollering did not come from the No. 15 North Carolina women’s basketball team.

Despite a 40-foot heave at the end of regulation that pushed the game to extra time, UNC fell to Louisville 77-75 on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. In the stead of any hollering, there was silence in the post-game press conference — except for two words.

Foul line.

“Really disappointed we didn’t get to the foul line in overtime,” Coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “They got on the foul line. That was the biggest difference.

“They got on the foul line in overtime and we didn’t.”

Minutes earlier, in the press chamber with No. 10 Louisville, it was the same message, only a different two words.

Free throws.

“Got to give credit to our kids for stepping up and knocking down free throws there,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “(Sara) Hammond had some big ones at crunch time for us.”

Hammond finished the night 8-for-9 nine from the charity stripe, but all of her free throws came in the second half or overtime. As a team, the Tar Heels only shot two free throws in overtime, as compared to 11 by the Cardinals during that same stretch.

For the first 40 minutes of the game, the charity stripe was exactly that for UNC. The team sunk 13 of its first 16 attempts — the problem wasn’t missing free points.

It was not earning more.

Part of that was Louisville’s size in the post, which forced UNC into jump shots and 3-pointers. But more so, it was playing without Stephanie Mavunga and Allisha Gray, each of whom fouled out.

Mavunga, UNC’s tallest player and primary post option, struggled in the paint all night before earning her fifth personal with 16 seconds left in overtime.

She didn’t have a single free throw attempt.

The same could not be said for her Cardinal counterpart, Hammond. With the game — her first ever in an ACC tournament — on the line, expectation met reality.

“In those situations you’ve just got to step up and make free throws,” Hammond said. “My teammates gave me confidence. Just their trust and confidence in me knocking those down, that’s all I needed to put them in the basket.”

In fact, Hammond’s final dagger came on Gray’s final play. She fouled out with 2:16 left in extra time, sending Hammond to the line in the process.

The Louisville senior made the shot, giving the Cardinals the necessary edge to close out the game.

Friday night, UNC simply came up short.

And so they sat, heads hung in silence — unable to muster words, unable to muster a win.

sports@dailytarheel.com