UNC Outlasts Maryland to Reach Sweet 16

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Elina Aarnisalo’s 21-point performance helped No. 4 seed North Carolina defeat No. 5 seed Maryland, 74-66, on Sunday afternoon in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 

The Tar Heels secured their second consecutive Sweet 16 appearance — the first time since 2014-15 — and will head to Fort Worth, Texas to face the winner of No. 1 UConn and No. 9 Syracuse on Friday. With the win, UNC improves to 26-1 in NCAA Tournament games hosted in Carmichael Arena, including a 24-game win streak that dates back to 1987.

Tar Heels Dribble Past Terrapins

Averaging over 23 3-point attempts per game, the Tar Heels shied away from their usual proficiency from deep and took only 11 looks from beyond the arc — tied for the fewest all season. Instead, UNC found success off the dribble, with Aarnisalo consistently getting to the rim for easy points.

The sophomore guard led the way for North Carolina on an effective 8-for-14 shooting day, while Nyla Harris and Lanie Grant also added to UNC’s paint production with a combined 34 points. The emphasis on attacking the basket helped the Tar Heels shoot 56.7 percent in the first half and 49.1 percent for the game (28-for-57) while tallying 44 total points in the paint.

It was Grant’s blow-by off the dribble inside the final minute that was the dagger to sink Maryland and put North Carolina ahead 70-62 with 49.4 seconds to play. The sophomore guard shook her defender on the right wing with a combo of dribble moves before finishing with her right hand under the basket — a play synonymous with UNC’s success driving to the basket all game long. 

Turnovers and Rebounding Woes Kept It Close

Despite building a double-figure lead in the first half, North Carolina allowed Maryland to come all the way back and tie the game heading into the fourth quarter. It was a combination of 15 turnovers in the first three quarters by UNC and its defense conceding 21 offensive rebounds that helped the Terrapins get back in the game. 

Down the stretch, however, the Tar Heels shored up their issues. They recorded only one turnover in the fourth quarter, and held the Terps to only one offensive rebound in the final three minutes of the game. North Carolina’s defense limited Maryland to 32.4 percent shooting on the day, including 3-for-23 from 3-point range (13%) with the Terrapins missing all six shots from distance in the fourth quarter.

Tar Heels Outlast Foul Trouble

Tar Heel guards Indya Nivar and Aarnisalo played the entire fourth quarter with four personal fouls, in a physical contest that saw 39 fouls in total. Defending without fouling, the pair played crucial minutes down the stretch, with Nivar providing 11 points and six rebounds until she fouled out with 16 seconds remaining. 

Likewise, Aanisalo finished the game with a Tar Heel game-high 21 points and went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to help ice the game for North Carolina.