### Tar Heels Survive Hurricanes in Thrilling ACC Tournament Clash: UNC Escapes Miami in Greensboro Quarterfinal
**Greensboro, N.C. – March 7, 2025** – In a game that encapsulated the chaos and intensity of March basketball, the North Carolina Tar Heels women’s team held off a furious late rally from the Miami Hurricanes to secure a hard-fought 78-74 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament at First Horizon Coliseum. The win propelled No. 5-seeded UNC (25-7) into the semifinals, where they would face a daunting challenge, while No. 12-seeded Miami (18-15) saw their Cinderella run come to an agonizing end.
The matchup, a rematch of regular-season battles where UNC had swept the series, lived up to the hype in Greensboro – the spiritual home of ACC women’s basketball. A packed house of over 12,000 fans, many decked in Carolina blue just a short drive from Chapel Hill, created an electric atmosphere that felt more like a home game for the Tar Heels. Chants of “Go Heels Go” echoed through the arena as UNC built a commanding lead early, only for Miami to claw back with the kind of grit that has defined underdog stories in this tournament for years.
From the opening tip, North Carolina imposed its will inside the paint. Senior forward Alyssa Ustby, the heart and soul of the Tar Heels and a First Team All-ACC selection, dominated the glass and the scoreboard. Ustby finished with a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds, including several second-chance buckets that kept Miami at bay during crucial stretches. “Alyssa is our leader, our rebounding machine,” said UNC head coach Courtney Banghart postgame. “She sets the tone for everything we do.”
Joining Ustby in the frontcourt was center Maria Gakdeng, another All-ACC Second Team honoree, who bullied her way to 18 points on efficient 8-of-12 shooting while altering countless shots at the rim. Gakdeng’s presence was particularly vital against Miami’s athletic bigs, as she anchored a defense that forced the Hurricanes into tough, contested looks for much of the night.
The Tar Heels’ backcourt provided the spark that turned a close game into a blowout midway through the third quarter. Point guard Reniya Kelly, returning from a brief injury absence that had plagued UNC late in the regular season, looked fully healthy as she drained four three-pointers en route to 16 points and six assists. Her clutch triple with 4:12 left in the third extended UNC’s lead to 15 points, silencing a brief Miami surge. Freshman sensation Lanie Grant, earning ACC All-Freshman honors, came off the bench to add 10 points, including a pair of acrobatic drives that energized the crowd.
Miami, playing with house money after upsetting a higher seed in the second round, refused to go quietly. The Hurricanes, coached by Tricia Cullop in her first year at the helm after taking over a program in transition, leaned heavily on their dynamic guard duo of Haley Cavinder and Hanna Cavinder – the transferred twins who brought viral fame and veteran poise to Coral Gables. Haley led all scorers with 26 points, including five threes, while Hanna chipped in 14 points and eight assists, orchestrating comeback attempts with pinpoint passes.
The Hurricanes’ strategy was clear: speed up the tempo and hunt mismatches on the perimeter. They shot a blistering 42% from beyond the arc, keeping the game within reach despite UNC’s dominance in the paint (48-32 rebounding edge). A 12-2 run in the fourth quarter, capped by Haley’s step-back three, cut the deficit to just three points with under two minutes remaining. The Greensboro crowd held its breath as Miami forced turnovers and converted in transition.
But UNC’s veterans steadied the ship. Ustby drew a crucial charge on a driving Hanna Cavinder, and Kelly iced the game with free throws down the stretch. “We knew Miami wouldn’t quit – those Cavinder girls are warriors,” Banghart added. “This win is about resilience. We’ve had injuries, tough losses late in the year, but these kids fight.”
The game highlighted the contrasting styles that make ACC women’s basketball so compelling. UNC, with its size and experience, controlled the boards and the pace for long stretches, outscoring Miami 42-28 in the paint. The Tar Heels shot 50% from the field overall, a testament to their efficient half-court sets designed by Banghart, now in her sixth season at Chapel Hill.
Miami, meanwhile, embodied the new-look ACC – fast, guard-oriented, and unafraid. Their upset bid fell short, but the performance served notice that the Hurricanes are building something special under Cullop. “I’m proud of our effort,” Cullop said. “We battled a top team on their home turf essentially. This experience will fuel us moving forward.”
Statistically, the game was a tale of runs. UNC jumped out to a 22-14 first-quarter lead behind Gakdeng’s early post touches. Miami responded in the second, using a 10-0 spurt to tie it at 32-all, but the Tar Heels closed the half on a 12-4 run for a 44-36 advantage. The third quarter belonged to UNC, as they pushed the lead to 65-50, only for Miami’s fourth-quarter heroics to make it a nail-biter.
Key moments included a technical foul on Miami’s bench early in the fourth that gave UNC free throws and possession, and a controversial no-call on a potential goaltending by Gakdeng that kept Miami from tying late. Turnovers were even at 14 apiece, but UNC capitalized more, scoring 20 points off Miami miscues.
This victory marked UNC’s first ACC Tournament quarterfinal win since 2022 and avenged some of the late-season stumbles that saw them drop games to rivals Duke and others. With the win, the Tar Heels improved to 4-0 all-time against Miami in ACC Tournament play, a streak that dates back to the Hurricanes’ entry into the conference.
For context, the 2025 ACC Tournament in Greensboro drew record crowds, surpassing 70,000 total attendees for the first time in over a decade – a booming sign for women’s basketball amid the sport’s skyrocketing popularity. The event, held from March 5-9, featured 15 teams after the expansion to 18 members, with Miami, SMU, and Wake Forest sitting out as the bottom three.
UNC’s path now gets tougher. They advanced to face No. 4 seed Florida State or another powerhouse in the semis, with eyes on a potential finals showdown against top-seeded NC State or resurgent Duke. The Tar Heels, ranked as high as No. 13 nationally during the season, are playing their best basketball at the right time, bolstered by the return of key players like Kelly and Ustby.
Miami heads home with heads high, having exceeded expectations in a rebuilding year. The Cavinders’ eligibility and leadership will be key for 2025-26.
In the end, this UNC-Miami thriller was classic ACC Tournament fare: high stakes, star performances, and drama until the final buzzer. The Tar Heels live to fight another day in Greensboro, marching toward a potential 10th conference title and a strong NCAA resume. As Ustby put it in the locker room: “This is March. This is why we play.”
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