Hokies' rally not enough in loss to no. 12 tar heels

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Virginia Tech fell to No. 12 North Carolina, 67-62, in Carmichael Arena on Thursday after being down double-digits early on. 

Both the Hokies (16-9, 7-7 ACC) and Tar Heels (22-4, 10-3) know what it takes to play and win close games, but ultimately, Carolina’s rebounding and relentless defense proved too much. 

It seemed like Tech would complete the comeback after seizing all of the momentum in the third, but Carolina’s defense tightened up again and forced a highly contested three that would have tied the game with three seconds left in regulation.

“Because Carolina’s defense is so good, we had to raise our level to keep it close,” first-year head coach Megan Duffy said. 

Despite hounding pressure, Tech forwards Carys Baker and Matilda Ekh led the Hokies offensively, tallying 17 and 13 points respectively, each of them draining three shots from beyond the arc. 

Coach Duffy stuck to the game plan of prioritizing ball movement, which proved effective. However, it did not automatically generate open looks. The majority of Baker’s points were tightly contested, and freshman guard Mackenzie Nelson’s ACC career-high 10 points came off multiple layups through contact. 

Nelson once again was a defensive menace. Although she did not stuff the stat sheet, she posted the second lowest plus/minus for the Hokies at minus two, and drew a tough five fouls on Carolina. 

“Our defense starts our offense,” Nelson said. “Any kind of energy play I think carries the team, and I try to carry that anytime I’m on the court.”

The usually high-powered Tar Heel offense was visibly bothered by Tech’s defensive effort, turning the ball over 14 times, mostly through offensive fouls. 

Carolina’s frontcourt duo of Alyssa Utsby and Maria Gakdeng only combined for 12 points, despite both of their season averages sitting at 11 points per game. 

However, the backcourt picked up the slack for the Heels. Reniya Kelly exploded, tying her career-high with 20 points and Lexi Donarski ended the game with 15 after a dagger near the rim with 30 seconds to play. 

“[Kelly’s] pull-up [shot] is awesome, and then you get her downhill or shooting a three every once and a while—it’s hard to guard,” Duffy said. “She’s a true three-level scorer when she’s feeling it.”

Kelly also halted multiple Hokie runs with her shot. Most notably, hitting a transition three after Tech was just getting into a rhythm in the second quarter.

Utsby still heavily impacted the game despite the low scoring effort, snagging a mind-numbing 16 boards. Her rebounding efforts gave the Tar Heels a significant advantage in second-chance points, with Tech totaling three to Carolina’s 13.

Tech’s offense was hindered by point guard Carliegh Wenzel’s cold night. She started the contest 0-of-6 from the field and ended 2-of-11 while hitting four from the charity stripe.

Wenzel stayed aggressive and limited turnovers, but picked up four fouls early in the third, which may have stopped her from getting into a rhythm offensively.

The deep ball kept Tech in the contest, going 8-of-13 from downtown, but each Hokies' basket was met with a quick response from the Tar Heels.

After a key Carolina two-for-one possession to end the third quarter off an inbounds steal and jump ball, the Tar Heel energy was back and the home crowd felt it as well.

The fourth quarter proved to be the difference maker, as the North Carolina pressure the Hokies saw at the start of the game came back. Both offenses struggled to get open looks, but the Tar Heels shot a slightly better 38% from the field to Tech’s 33%.

Despite the loss, Coach Duffy has to like where the Hokies are. Competing with a top-15 team in the nation is no small feat, and with a two-game home stand, Tech is looking to gain momentum as the season comes down to the home stretch.

“It was a little bit of a chess match … and that’s the fun as you get down the stretch of ACC play, you’re just trying to find an advantage,” Duffy said. “But I hope a game like this shows we’re a really good quality team.”

Tech returns to Blacksburg for its next game against Stanford on Thursday, Feb. 20. While the Hokies appear safe in the ACC Tournament race, a win over the Cardinal would provide a significant boost against one of women’s college basketball’s premier programs.