GREENSBORO, N.C. — Alyssa Ustby couldn’t help but think of the possibilities.
Before Friday’s 44-40 loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, the junior small forward had never lost to the Blue Devils in her time on the North Carolina women’s basketball team. In Ustby’s first year at UNC, Duke canceled its season due to COVID-19.
So naturally, Ustby had considered the game’s rivalry implications beforehand.
“It definitely crossed my mind at one point,” she admitted. “I was like, ‘I wanna sweep Duke in my whole career, that would be such a cool thing.’ But putting that aside, it’s basketball. There’s going to be losses. Not only do you need to play well, you need to have a little bit of luck. It’s unfortunate that the basketball gods didn’t give us this one.”
Whether or not luck played a part in Duke’s defense — which ranks first in the ACC and held UNC to four fourth quarter points – is arguable.
Regardless, the tightly contested match came down to a few missed shots, so Ustby noted that she’s not upset. After all, the most important basketball of the season has yet to be played.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Tar Heels had already shifted their focus to the road ahead. After redshirt senior guard Eva Hodgson fumbled an inbounds pass on a desperation 4-point play attempt with three seconds left, she was immediately met by junior forward Anya Poole, and the two players clasped hands with looks of determination.
“We just keep moving,” junior guard Kennedy Todd-Williams said. “We have the NCAA Tournament to look forward to, so no wasting time.”
Being eliminated from the ACC Tournament is only the latest dip in the emotional roller coaster North Carolina has ridden since Ustby’s return from injury. First, it was a buzzer-beater loss to Virginia Tech on senior night last Thursday. Then, the Tar Heels spoiled Duke’s chances at winning the ACC regular season title in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
