University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
12-8, 1-6ACC
Notre Dame
18-3, 6-1ACC
#6 Notre Dame Tops Carolina
January 22, 2017 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Brianna Turner had 24 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks to help No. 6 Notre Dame beat North Carolina 77-55 on Sunday.
Marina Mabrey added 13 points for the Fighting Irish (18-3, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who gave coach Muffet McGraw her 750th victory at the school in her 30th season.
Paris Kea scored 15 of her 21 points in the first quarter for the Tar Heels (12-8, 1-6). But Notre Dame ran off a 10-0 burst to build a double-digit lead early in the second, then a half-closing 9-0 run to pull away.
UNC lost Stephanie Watts, the ACC's No. 2 scorer (18.8) and No. 5 rebounder (8.8) when she appeared to injure her right knee falling on a drive to end the third quarter. She was helped off the court for evaluation and didn't return to the bench until late in the game.
BIG PICTURE
Notre Dame: The game offered a reminder of how dominant the 6-foot-3 Turner can be, particularly against a team that lacks a true post presence. She had no trouble operating inside against UNC's wing-heavy lineup, repeatedly getting easy putaways on lobs and entry passes on the way to an 11-for-16 shooting day.
UNC: The Tar Heels rely on their perimeter to offset a lack of post presence. They have no chance when that group struggles like it did Sunday. Watts had one point on 0-for-6 shooting in the first half and had most of her 14 points after Notre Dame had long since taken control. Meanwhile, Destinee Walker -- UNC's third-leading scorer at 12.2 points -- finished with six points on 2-for-10 shooting.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish return home to host No. 15 Duke on Thursday.
UNC: The Tar Heels visit No. 14 Miami on Thursday night.
