No. 15 North Carolina Holds Off Stanford Rally for 69-67 Win
STANFORD, Calif. – No. 15 North Carolina (20-4, 8-3 ACC) weathered a fierce fourth-quarter comeback by Stanford (11-10, 3-7 ACC) to secure a hard-fought 69-67 road victory at Maples Pavilion on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels controlled much of the game, but the Cardinal nearly erased a 15-point deficit before falling just short in the final moments.
North Carolina’s balanced offensive attack saw five players score in double figures, led by Alyssa Ustby’s 16 points and eight rebounds. Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski each added 12 points, while Reniya Kelly and Grace Townsend chipped in 10 apiece. The Tar Heels’ perimeter shooting proved to be the difference, as they connected on 9-of-17 three-pointers (52.9%), tying their second-highest total in an ACC game this season.
For Stanford, Nunu Agara delivered a dominant performance, leading all scorers with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Chloe Clardy followed with 15 points, while Elena Bosgana played a key role defensively despite struggling from the field. The Cardinal stayed in the game thanks to 18-for-19 free throw shooting (94.7%) and a resilient defensive effort that limited UNC to just 10 points in the fourth quarter.
Tar Heels Build a Lead, Stanford Nearly Erases It
UNC set the tone early, jumping out to a 20-12 lead after the first quarter behind efficient shooting and aggressive rebounding. The Tar Heels stretched their advantage to as much as 15 points in the third quarter, fueled by 4-for-5 three-point shooting in the period.
However, Stanford’s defense tightened in the final frame, as the Cardinal outscored UNC 19-10 and clawed back into contention. Agara’s relentless effort on both ends, along with key plays from Clardy and Tess Heal, allowed Stanford to close the rebounding gap and put pressure on the Tar Heels.
Despite the late rally, UNC’s defense held strong in the final moments to secure the win. Head coach Courtney Banghart acknowledged the challenges of playing back-to-back road games at Cal and Stanford, emphasizing her team’s ability to fight through adversity.
“You’re away from your weight room, you’re away from your own bed. You’re away from your routine for quite a while. And these guys found a way. We didn’t play great, but this was a big moment for us, because we showed a lot of collective toughness when things weren’t going our way,” Banghart said.
Stanford Shows Growth, But Falls Just Short
Despite the loss, Stanford head coach Kate Paye praised her team’s resilience, particularly their ability to cut down turnovers after a rough first quarter (seven in the first, only eight the rest of the game).
“They’re very physical. They play hard. They out-rebounded us for the bulk of the game, but it’s kind of how our team closed that gap in the fourth quarter. I think that was a big key to coming back. Obviously, it’s really disappointing, we were right there. We had an opportunity to pull this one out. We had a great crowd today, and I’m just really proud of how our team fought,” Paye said.
What’s Next?
Stanford heads on the road for two tough matchups, starting with Notre Dame on Feb. 6 and Louisville on Feb. 9. North Carolina returns to the East Coast to face Clemson on Feb. 9 before hosting Virginia Tech and NC State in a critical ACC stretch.
