GREENSBORO, NC. — The 14th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels gained the upper hand against the Boston College Eagles, winning 78-71 in front of their home fans in the ACC Tournament. After facing a tough opponent in their first game, they will match up against the 22nd-ranked Florida State Seminoles in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 7th, at 11 AM EST.

The Tar Heels started strong in the first quarter, leading 18-14 over the Eagles. North Carolina was led by Lexi Donarski, who scored six of her 20 points in the quarter. After falling into a hole early, the Eagles clawed their way back, thanks to Tatum Greene, who scored nine points. While the two teams shot similarly from the field, the Eagles saw more threes fall in their favor. After not making a three in the first half of their previous game, they went 4/6 (67%) in the quarter. The Tar Heels struggled in the same area, only hitting two threes in eight attempts (25%). Despite their struggles from the arc, North Carolina stayed disciplined in the second quarter.  

Before heading into the locker room, the Tar Heels increased their lead against Boston College to 36-30. North Carolina held their lead thanks to a perfect second quarter from Indya Nivar, who scored seven points on shooting 100% from the field on three attempts. They were also helped by Trayanna Crisp, who scored six points in the quarter on two made threes. In the first half, the Tar Heels took advantage of the turnover battle, outscoring the Eagles 12-2 in points off turnovers. Their defense turning into their offense helped them sustain a lead before the second half. Although North Carolina jumped ahead from the jump, Boston College flipped the script in the third period. 

The Eagles left the third quarter tied 54-54, making it a brand new ball game. Although they were down in the first half again, their adjustments helped them gain momentum. Teya Sidberry aided in their comeback with five of her 12 points in the period. Boston College had a perfect third quarter from the three-point line, shooting 100% in their four attempts. The Tar Heels stayed composed even though they lost the quarter. They were aided by Lanie Grant, who scored five of her 11 points in the period. Even though the Eagles had momentum on their side, North Carolina fed off their home crowd, who played a key role in their victory. Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart mentioned how the fans will travel from anywhere just to support them and how the chance to play in front of so many was earned.

“(The fan support) is remarkable. You could put this tournament on the moon and you’d have a lot of Tar Heel fans there because of who (the players) are,” she said after the win. The chance for us to be able to play in a basketball state is great, and we’ll be well received, but we’re focused on the next thing, which is against a really good Florida state team.”

North Carolina earned a victory after going on a 12-point run in the last 1:44 of the game. They hope to carry that momentum into their next game against the NCAA’s leading scorer, Ta’Niya Latson, and Florida State.