Carolina Drops First Game Of Season To USF

Thursday, November 24

Bimini, Bahamas

5:15 PM

North Carolina

4-1

South Florida

3-0

North Carolina

South Florida

November 25, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Box Score (pdf)

By: UNC Athletic Communications

BIMINI, BAHAMAS - Behind 34 points from Kitija Laksa, USF pinned the first loss of the season on North Carolina, 83-55, on Thursday in the opening round of the Junkanoo Jam at Gateway Christian Academy.

Paris Kea scored 20 points to lead North Carolina (4-1). Stephanie Watts added 13 points to register her 14th double-figure scoring game in a row. Both players have scored 10 or more points in every game this season.

Carolina fell behind not long after the opening tip, but Kea scored nine-straight points to keep the Tar Heels close in the first quarter. USF (3-0) led by as many as seven points, but a late three-pointer from Watts saw the Bulls advantage trimmed to only 22-18 after one period of play.

Kea continued to lead her club in the second half. Her second make from distance brought Carolina within 31-28 of the Bulls with 4:40 until halftime. But the offense stalled out and a 30-foot bank shot by Maria Jeperson vaulted USF into the lead at intermission, 39-30.

USF dialed up another three at the buzzer at the end of the third quarter, this time by Ariana Pujol to give USF a 58-45 edge, and the Tar Heels never got closer in the final 10 minutes.

Pujol finished with a career-high 26 points for the Bulls, a perennial NCAA Tournament club in three of the last four seasons.

North Carolina will face Minnesota in the consolation game on Friday at 7:45 p.m. The Golden Gophers lost 70-58 to Georgia on Thursday afternoon.