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#2 South Carolina - Exhibition
No. 2 South Carolina Downs WBB In Exhibition, 91-82
October 30, 2025 | Women's Basketball
ATLANTA – In its lone preseason contest of the year, No. 11 North Carolina women's basketball took on an early challenge in No. 2 South Carolina from State Farm Arena Thursday night. Despite putting up a fight against the Gamecocks, Carolina ultimately came up short, 91-82.
Poised for a strong senior campaign, Indya Nivar paced the Tar Heels, tying for a team-high 14 points. Making her Carolina debut, Nyla Harris proved to be a facet on all aspects of the court with a double-double off 14 points and 10 rebounds. ACC Preseason All-Freshman Nyla Brooks popped in her Carolina debut with 12 points and seven rebounds. Lanie Grant also joined in on the scoring, posting 10 points while knocking down two triples.
Trading blows back and forth through the first quarter, Nivar's aggressive play around the rim kept the Tar Heels and Gamecocks locked at 16 with two minutes remaining in the first frame. Although South Carolina pulled ahead with a quick scoring spurt, Taissa Queiroz closed the gap to seven at 26-19 through one.
With energy on UNC's side, an 8-0 run from the Tar Heels forced a one-point game early on in the second. As Carolina hit an offensive lull, South Carolina pulled back ahead by working in the paint to lead 49-38 at the break.
As South Carolina controlled the pace, Carolina worked to keep within striking distance throughout the third. Knocking down multiple triples, Grant showed her range to make up UNC's deficit. Making noise of her own in the paint, Harris tallied a double-double in her Carolina debut, midway through the quarter.
Trailing by 15 with 10 minutes remaining, Carolina's freshmen showed flashes of what's to come with Taliyah Henderson and Brooks making their presence known. Although the Tar Heels forced pressure on the Gamecocks in the closing minutes, it wasn't enough to top South Carolina, falling 91-82 in the heavyweight exhibition matchup.
The Tar Heels open the regular season on Monday, Nov. 3, hosting NC Central for a Field Trip Day matinee at 11 a.m. ET from Carmichael Arena. The tilt against the Eagles is set to stream on ACC Extra with Dean Linke and Joel James on the call. This game will not be included in any ticket packages and all admission to the public will be on a first come-first serve basis and complimentary.
Single-game and season tickets for the 2025-26 season remain on sale, For more information regarding tickets, visit goheels.com/tickets or reach out to the UNC Athletic Ticket Office at 919-926-2296 or tickets@unc.edu.
Stay up to date with the latest North Carolina women's basketball news on X at @UNCWBB, Instagram @UNCWBB and Facebook at Carolina Women's Basketball.
