No. 13 UNC women's basketball falls, 86-84, to Florida State after last-second buzzer beater

The No. 13 UNC women’s basketball team (18-4, 6-3 ACC) broke its five-game win streak with an 86-84 loss to Florida State (16-4, 6-2 ACC) on Sunday afternoon in Carmichael Arena. The Seminoles made a last-second buzzer beater to win the game. 

Facing off against the Seminoles, who rank second in the nation in points per game, the Tar Heels couldn’t stop the offense when it mattered, giving up two shots in the final thirty seconds. 

Florida State began the scoring with a contested 3-pointer from the corner. Graduate guard Lexi Donarski tried her own shot from downtown, but it bounced off the rim. 

North Carolina gave up four more points to go down seven, but Donarski put the Tar Heels on the board with a short jumper from the paint. 

After trading a few shots, graduate forward Alyssa Ustby nailed her own three from the same spot. 

On the back of Ustby, UNC went on an 11-5 run to pull within one point, but a couple of missed shots from first-year center Blanca Thomas and the Seminoles’ third 3-pointer put Florida State back up 21-15 at the first media timeout. 

But three quick layups and a Florida State offensive foul to end the quarter brought North Carolina back within two at 25-23. 

The Seminoles began the second quarter with two straight 3-pointers, but couldn’t hit their shots inside. Donarski grabbed a defensive rebound off of one missed shot and sprinted down the floor, completing the fast-break layup. 

Both teams struggled for several minutes, combining for five missed shots in two minutes. Florida State’s Makayla Timpson ended the drought with a jumper, answered with a layup from senior center Maria Gakdeng over two defenders. 

With just over four minutes remaining in the half, first-year guard Lanie Grant made a three to give UNC its first lead of the game. 

After trading shots, sophomore guard Reniya Kelly drained a turn-around jumper with four second to give the Tar Heels a 44-43 lead at half. 

Junior guard Indiya Nivar hit the first field goal of the second half on a long possession where North Carolina collected two offensive rebounds and forced a Seminole foul. 

The teams traded several physical possessions. Four minutes into the quarter, Florida State had three fouls to UNC’s five. 

The Tar Heels got some separation near the three minute mark in the third, when an open Thomas caught a pass from Grant underneath the basket and nailed a layup. 

But the Seminoles went on an 8-2 run as North Carolina struggled to stop their offense, regaining a three-point lead.

Scoring picked up in the fourth quarter as the teams punished each other in the paint and at the line. 

Then, after a pair of free throws gave UNC the lead, Donarski drained the first 3-pointer of the quarter to put the Tar Heels up 73-69. 

With just over five minutes to go, Ustby wrestled a rebound away from a Seminole. Graduate guard Grace Townsend sent it to Lanie Grant on the perimeter, and she nailed a three. 

As the clock ticked below twenty second and down one point, Florida State’s Sydney Bowles pulled up for a deep 3-pointer to take the lead. 

With seven seconds left, Kelly pulled up from the top of the key to tie the score. 

But Florida State fought through the defense, hitting the game winning layup as time expired. 

The Tar Heels will travel to Berkeley, Calif., to take on California on Thursday at 10 p.m.

@BeckettBrant

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