With four in double figures, Tar Heels top Pitt at home 75-62

Chapel Hill, N.C. — Four Tar Heels scored in double figures as the North Carolina women’s basketball team snapped a four-game skid with a 75-62 win over Pitt Thursday evening at Carmichael Arena.

Graduate student Lexi Donarski led the way with 20 points, 17 of which came after halftime. She hit six three-pointers and was 5-8 from three after halftime. Senior Deja Kelly scored 17 and had another big game at the foul line, going 9-11. She also handed out five assists and made three steals.

Senior Alyssa Ustby finished with her 12th double-double of the season and 34th of her career, but first ever with points (14) and assists (10, equal to her season high). She also had seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Redshirt sophomore Teonni Key came off the bench for 11 points on 5-6 shooting in 16:25 of action.

The Tar Heels are now 16-9 overall and 8-5 in ACC play heading into a road game on Sunday at Wake Forest. Pitt fell to 7-19 (1-12).

Everyone on the court started slowly, with a combined 15 points in the first quarter when both teams shot under 22 percent. By halftime, Pitt led 29-27 after hitting 5-6 from three in the second quarter.

The Tar Heels came out of the break with an 8-0 run and went 4-5 from three in the first five minutes of the third quarter. Pitt used an 11-0 run to tie the score at 46-46 with two minutes to play in the period, and Carolina led by three heading into the fourth.

The home team held a 10-point advantage in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Panthers 24-14 to claim the 13-point win.

Liatu King led Pitt with 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Aaryn Battle added 11.

UNC finished with 21 assists ­– the team’s high in ACC play – on 24 made baskets.

The Tar Heels hit 10 threes, reaching double-digits from long range for just the third time this season, the second in ACC play.

Notes:

• Donarski’s first three of the game pushed her past 1,500 points for her career. She finished the game with 1,517 career points, 266 of them this season at UNC.

• With three blocks, Ustby now has exactly 100 for her career.

• Kelly is 32-35 (.914) from the foul line over the past four games.

• Freshman Reniya Kelly, who has been in the starting lineup the past seven games, missed the game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. She joined Paulina Paris (day-to-day) and Kayla McPherson, Laila Hull and Ciera Toomey (out for the season) on the bench.