Virginia Cavaliers @ North Carolina Tar Heels
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UVA | 8 | 13 | 19 | 22 | 62 |
| 9 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 73 |
No. 11 North Carolina women turn back Virginia 73-62
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- — Freshman Kayla McPherson came off the bench to score 14 points and No. 11 North Carolina cruised to a 73-62 victory over Virginia on Thursday night.
McPherson has played just two games in the last 800 days. She had a knee injury that sidelined her for her senior year of high school and a different lower-body injury that kept her out of the Tar Heels' first 20 games this season. It didn't show against Virginia.
McPherson, who had eight points in North Carolina's 69-58 road win over Clemson on Sunday, connected on 6 of 10 shots with two 3-pointers and added four assists for the Tar Heels (17-5, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won eight straight conference games after a three-game skid to open ACC play.
Deja Kelly finished with 13 points and five rebounds for North Carolina. Alyssa Ustby had 12 points and Anya Poole and Kennedy Todd-Williams both scored 11. Poole grabbed eight rebounds.
London Clarkson scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Cavaliers (14-9, 3-9), who have lost five straight. Clarkson made 8 of 13 shots and 7 of 8 free throws. Mckenna Dale had 15 points and nine rebounds, while Camryn Taylor scored 10.
North Carolina managed just three free throws through the first six minutes and trailed by a point. Poole hit a jumper at the 3:17 mark and McPherson made two baskets in the final 94 seconds to give the Tar Heels a 9-8 lead after one quarter.
The Tar Heels used a 7-0 run, capped by Ustby's three-point play, to push their lead to 21-11 with 5:56 left before halftime. Ustby and McPherson each finished with five points in the quarter as North Carolina stretched its lead to 33-21 at halftime. Poole and McPherson combined to score 17 at intermission. The Tar Heels, who missed their first six shots and shot 30% in the first quarter, sank 9 of 12 attempts in the second.
North Carolina beat Virginia for a seventh straight time and for the 27th time in the last 30 games.
Virginia has lost 15 straight ACC road games and hasn't beaten a ranked team since 2017.
UP NEXT
North Carolina: The Tar Heels travel to play Louisville on Sunday.
Virginia: The Cavaliers travel to play Pittsburgh on Sunday.
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Game Information
Chapel Hill, NC
Referee:Mark Berger
Referee:Krystle Apellaniz
2025-26 Standings
| Atlantic Coast Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 13-0 | - | 18-6 |
| Louisville | 13-1 | 0.5 | 23-4 |
| North Carolina | 10-3 | 3 | 21-5 |
| NC State | 10-3 | 3 | 17-7 |
| Syracuse | 10-4 | 3.5 | 20-5 |
| Virginia Tech | 9-5 | 4.5 | 19-7 |
| Clemson | 9-5 | 4.5 | 18-8 |
| Virginia | 9-5 | 4.5 | 17-8 |
| Notre Dame | 7-6 | 6 | 15-9 |
| California | 7-6 | 6 | 16-10 |
| Georgia Tech | 6-8 | 7.5 | 11-15 |
| Stanford | 5-8 | 8 | 16-10 |
| Miami | 4-9 | 9 | 12-12 |
| Florida State | 4-9 | 9 | 9-16 |
| Wake Forest | 3-11 | 10.5 | 13-13 |
| SMU | 1-12 | 12 | 8-17 |
| Pittsburgh | 1-12 | 12 | 8-18 |
| Boston College | 0-14 | 13.5 | 4-23 |
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