GREENSBORO, N.C. – Led by senior LaQuanda Barksdale, the seventh-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the eighth-seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 79-64, in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament Friday evening at Greensboro Coliseum.
Barksdale scored 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Tar Heels. Juana Brown added 17 points and nine rebounds for UNC, which advanced to a Saturday matchup with second seed Clemson.
Georgia Tech and Carolina battled through an even first half, trading leads seven times before intermission. The Yellow Jackets led by as many as five in the first stanza, but entered the lockerroom trailing, 39-35.
The Tar Heels expanded their lead to 11 early in the second half and then held the Yellow Jackets scoreless for a five-minute stretch, increasing their lead to 66-43 with 8:37 remaining.
Despite an 18-point, 10-rebound effort by junior Milli Martinez, the Yellow Jackets were unable to keep pace with the Tar Heels. Sophomore Niesha Butler added 14 points, five assists and four steals and senior Jaime Kruppa recorded 12 points and seven rebounds.
Tech fell to 14-14 with the loss as UNC improved to 15-13.
