No. 9 North Carolina hangs on to defeat South Carolina 93-83 in Carolinas Challenge

No. 9 Tar Heels blow lead, hold on for 93-85 win

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Cetera DeGraffenreid had a career-high 26 points and No. 9 North Carolina held on for a 93-85 victory over South Carolina on Sunday despite blowing an 18-point lead.

Kelsey Bone, South Carolina’s 6-foot-5 freshman, had 27 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double this season.

The Tar Heels (9-1) were up 42-24 in the first half and looked on the way to another blowout victory in the Carolinas Challenge. Instead, the Gamecocks (6-4) stormed back to take a 69-66 lead with nine minutes to go.

But DeGraffenried scored 18 points in the second half and North Carolina took control for its 10th straight victory along the Grand Strand.

Italee Lucas had 23 points, including four 3-pointers for the Tar Heels.

North Carolina visits the Grand Strand each season, typically playing its last game before a holiday break at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

The players get in a couple of days of outlet shopping, hundreds of Carolina blue-clad fans pack the gym, and the Tar Heels, more often than not, leave with a victory.

They came in 21-4 when playing at the Palmetto State’s beach resort, many of those wins by double-digit margins.

This one looked headed for a blowout, too. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt’s inside basket with 4:53 before halftime put the Heels up by 18.

The Gamecocks then took off on a 15-2 run to close the period. Valerie Nainima had 10 points, including two 3-pointers, during the surge that cut North Carolina’s lead to 44-39.

The Tar Heels built the lead up to 11 points with a 10-4 run to start the second half before South Carolina came back again.

The Gamecocks also matched the Tar Heels in support, two full loud sections of fans, many wearing “Beat UNC” shirts, shouted and stomped during South Carolina’s rally.

Ruffin-Pratt tied the game at 69 for North Carolina with 8:49 to go. Chay Shegog put the Tar Heels up for good moments later with two foul shots.

Second-year Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley had hoped to continue her own run of success against the Tar Heels. She won all nine times she played North Carolina as Virginia’s star point guard from 1989-1992.