In a competitive matchup on Sunday, the No. 17 ranked North Carolina women’s basketball team triumphed over Miami with a score of 69-60, marking their third consecutive victory of the season. Maria Gakdeng was a standout performer for North Carolina, matching her season-best with 21 points and securing a personal best of 12 rebounds. Alyssa Ustby also made significant contributions, adding 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to help their team improve to 13-2 overall, with a 1-1 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Tar Heels faced an uphill battle at the start of the conference play, having lost their opener against No. 13 Georgia Tech on December 15. However, they rebounded with victories against Florida and Norfolk State before today’s match. Gakdeng’s shooting was particularly impressive, as she successfully converted 7 of 11 attempts from the field and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line. Indya Nivar also made her mark, contributing 11 points along with five assists and three steals.
On the other side, Miami, now standing at 11-2 with a 1-1 conference record, saw its four-game winning streak come to an end. The Hurricanes found themselves trailing early when Gakdeng’s layup with 6:14 left in the first quarter gave North Carolina a lead they maintained throughout the game. Ustby quickly extended that momentum with a three-pointer, which ignited a 9-0 scoring run, establishing a 16-7 advantage less than two minutes later.
North Carolina continued to build on their lead, scoring eight of the first ten points in the second quarter to push ahead by 13 with just over seven minutes left in the period. Miami fought back, closing the gap by scoring the final seven points of the half, and the teams went into halftime with North Carolina ahead 39-29.
During the third quarter, Jasmyne Roberts struck with a three-pointer for Miami, narrowing the deficit to seven points with 8:11 on the clock. However, the Hurricanes could not climb any closer. Nivar’s layup at 5:16 before the fourth extended UNC’s lead to 48-38. North Carolina maintained a double-digit advantage for the rest of the game, with Roberts’ late three-pointer serving as Miami’s final score of the match.
Hannah Cavinder led the scoring for Miami, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Roberts also contributed significantly, hitting four three-pointers and totaling 19 points, including 14 in the second half. The outcome reflects North Carolina’s steady performance as they continue their season with renewed confidence and momentum.
