UNC first-year guard Paulina Paris recorded a career-high 16 points to lift No. 22 UNC women’s basketball (10-5, 1-3 ACC) to a 60-50 upset win over No. 4 Notre Dame (9-5, 0-3) on Sunday afternoon at Carmichael Arena.
What happened?
Championed by junior small forward Alyssa Ustby in the post, UNC’s defense came out clicking on all cylinders on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels held the Fighting Irish to a season-low seven points in the first quarter, as Notre Dame shot an abysmal 17.6 percent from the field.
Despite its defensive pressure, North Carolina held a slim 6-point lead entering the second quarter of play. Midway through the second period, a 6-0 run led by the Fighting Irish’s Dara Mabrey and KK Bransford brought Notre Dame out to a 20-17 lead — the team’s first lead of the game — within just a minute of work.
From that point, UND sophomore point guard Olivia Miles added a layup in transition and two foul shots to help the Fighting Irish ease into halftime with a 25-22 lead.
The third quarter was critical for the Tar Heels, as UNC outscored Notre Dame 17-9 thanks to an increased tempo on offense and dominating the defensive boards.
Then, in the fourth quarter, first-year guard Paulina Paris took over. Her 11 points on a free throw, two 3-pointers and two layups helped UNC hold on to its lead. She was the only scorer for the Tar Heels over a period of almost six minutes in the fourth quarter.
After the dominant third quarter for the Tar Heels, Paris provided a boost for UNC that helped the team close out the game with a 60-50 final score.
