CHARLOTTE, N.C. - North Carolina ran into a buzz saw Sunday night at the 2026 Ally Tipoff, and No. 1 South Carolina never let the Tar Heels find their footing in an 84-39 loss at Spectrum Center.
The No. 12 Tar Heels slipped to 0-2, while South Carolina moved to 2-0 and handed UNC its fifth straight loss to the Gamecocks. The gap showed early and only widened as the night went on.
Nyla Brooks led North Carolina with 13 points, marking her second straight game with that total. She also knocked down four 3-pointers and extended her streak of games with a made three to 15. Kate Harpring added a team-best seven rebounds, a career high.
UNC opened with some resistance inside. Blanca Thomas scored the Tar Heels’ first two baskets and helped keep South Carolina off the board for a few minutes before the first media timeout. North Carolina leaned on the paint early, getting eight of its first 10 points there, and stayed within 15-10 after the first quarter.
Harpring’s midrange touch helped keep the Tar Heels in range during the second period, but South Carolina’s run of 10 unanswered points pushed the margin out to 15 midway through the quarter. North Carolina also struggled to generate much from deep in the first half, and the Gamecocks took a 34-17 lead into halftime.
The Tar Heels did see a little more success from 3-point range to start the third quarter, but South Carolina answered by controlling the interior and keeping the game firmly in hand. By the time the final period arrived, UNC was staring at a 66-26 deficit.
North Carolina did post its best scoring quarter of the night in the fourth with 13 points, but the comeback never got close. South Carolina closed out the lopsided win and left the Tar Heels with another tough result against the top-ranked team in the country.
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