University of Oregon
1-0
North Carolina
0-2
Women's Hoops Shocks No. 22 North Carolina
11/15/15 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - A free throw by Jillian Alleyne put the Ducks up two and a pair of missed three-point attempts by the Tar Heels sealed the deal as Oregon upset No. 22 North Carolina, 79-77, on Sunday afternoon at Carmichael Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Oregon (1-0) won its season opener in thrilling fashion. The Ducks led by as much as 10 in the fourth quarter, 73-63, with 6:45 left to play in the game. Carolina battled back to cut Oregon's lead to just one with 3:23 remaining.
A big corner three-pointer by Lexi Bando gave the Ducks some cushion, but again they led by just one, 78-77, with 26 seconds left. Alleyne missed her first free-throw attempt but made the second to put Oregon up two. UNC point guard Jamie Cherry then missed a three-point attempt, but the ball bounced out off Alleyne with 1.3 remianing.
A long inbounds pass to Cherry set her up for another game-winning try, but the ball bounced off the glass, off the rim and safely to the floor to give Oregon a big road win.
THE STAT SHEET: Alleyne, Oregon's returning All-American, finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds for her 70th career double-double. She enters Oregon's home opener next week needing just six more boards to break Bev Smith's UO career record.
Freshman Maite Cazorla had a dazzling debut, finishing with nine points, nine assists, four steals and just two turnovers. She started alongside Bando and Lexi Petersen, who finished with a team-high 18 points and 14 points, respectively.
Kat Cooper, a fifth-year transfer from Boston College, added 13 points off the bench.
UP NEXT: The Ducks meet Hampton at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Matthew Knight Arena in their home opener.
