UNC women's basketball's rally ends with Ohio State game-winner for Sweet 16 berth

After rallying from a 12-point deficit to take its first lead of the game with only two minutes left to play, UNC women's basketball couldn't hold off No. 3-seeded Ohio State, falling 71-69 on Monday in the Round of the 32.

Playing on the Buckeyes' home court in the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, the sixth-seeded Tar Heels (22-11) were trying to reach their second straight Sweet 16.

Over a five-minute span in the fourth quarter, UNC went on a 17-4 run led by Kennedy Todd-Williams and when Alyssa Ustby picked up a steal and fed Paulina Paris for a fast-break layup, the Tar Heels had taken a 67-66 lead with 2:03 left on the clock.

A Jacy Sheldon layup and free throws gave the lead back to the Buckeyes, but UNC had possession with 16.3 seconds remaining and trailing 69-67. Deja Kelly answered for UNC with a mid-range jumper that tied it up with 9.8 seconds remaining.

Sheldon came through for OSU again with a driving floater that left only 1.8 seconds on the clock, but the Tar Heels couldn't capitalize.

Taylor Mikesell made 4-of-8 3-pointers and finished with 17 points to lead Ohio State (27-7), which earned a trip to Seattle, Washington, to face No. 2 seed UConn (31-5).

DISRESPECTED?UNC women's basketball coach Courtney Banghart on surprisingly low seed for March Madness

RESULTS, SCHEDULE:2023 NCAA women's basketball tournament: Results, schedule, games, times, TV

Deja Kelly injured

UNC's two-time All-ACC guard, Kelly rolled her left ankle while defending Mikesell on the perimeter with 6:59 remaining in the game. Kelly was carried off the court by trainers but she returned with 2:33 left in regulation and made a game-tying shot late.

She finished with a game-high 22 points.

Knocked on their Heels

UNC was held scoreless for the game's first four minutes as Ohio State took an 8-0 lead, forcing five turnovers on the Tar Heels' first 10 possessions.

The Buckeyes had five steals in the first half, with two of them coming during a 9-2 run that stretched their lead to eight at 22-14 after the Tar Heels got within two at the end of the first quarter.

UNC forced six steals and 12 turnovers in the first half to beat OSU in both categories, but the Buckeyes' shooting made the difference as Cotie McMahon and Taylor Mikesell combined for 16 points before halftime. Mikesell's nine points came on 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.

Kelly provided most of UNC's offense in the first half with 13 of the Tar Heels' 28 points on 4-of-12 shooting. The bulk of that production came from the paint, where UNC scored 20 while making only one 3-point attempt in the first half.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC women's basketball falls to Ohio State in March Madness