I’ll admit it – I didn’t have Virginia beating #8 UNC down in Chapel Hill on Sunday on the old bingo card.
I found the game on The CW, kept hearing the announcers talk about how UVA hadn’t won in Chapel Hill since 2001, then noticed that Carolina was up 16 at one point in the second quarter, and it got closer.
A Paris Clark three with 2:56 on the clock in the third got the deficit down to one, for instance.
Still, under six minutes to go, UNC was up eight, 71-63.
An Edessa Noyan three ignited a shocking 11-2 run that put Virginia on top, on a pair of Kymora Johnson free throws with 27 seconds left.
The Tar Heels regained the lead with 19 ticks left on a layup by Indya Nivar.
After a UVA timeout, Clark, fouled by Nivar, drained both ends of a two-shot foul with 13 seconds left.
UNC called a timeout and set up a play for Nivar to get to the rim, but Latasha Lattimore blocked the layup attempt.
Johnson grabbed the rebound, was fouled, made both ends, Carolina missed a three at the horn, and, ballgame.
UVA coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton went with a tight six-player rotation.
Lattimore led the way with 23 points (10-of-14 FG, 2-of-4 3FG, 1-of-3 FT).
Johnson was one rebound shy of a triple-double – 15 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds.
Clark had 17, and Noyan 16 for the ‘Hoos (16-14, 8-10 ACC).
Maria Gakdeng led UNC (25-6, 13-5 ACC) with 25 points and nine rebounds.
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Chris Graham
