Kea scores 36, Tar Heel women upset No. 15 Duke 92-86 in OT

Jan 22, 2018, 09:39 am

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Paris Kea scored a career-high 36 points, including a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left that sent the game into overtime, and North Carolina ended a seven-game losing streak against bitter rival Duke, defeating the 15th-ranked Blue Devils 92-86 on Sunday.

Jamie Cherry made four free throws in the final minute and scored 22 points with a career-high 13 assists for the Tar Heels (14-6, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Freshman Leah Church had a career-high 19 points off the bench, including back-to-back 3-pointers in overtime that gave North Carolina an 88-80 lead.

On a day UNC celebrated coach Sylvia Hatchell reaching 1,000 career wins on Dec. 19, 2017, with a pregame ceremony and commemorative posters, the Tar Heels fell behind by 19 points in the second quarter. Kea had the last 10 points of a 13-2 run that pulled UNC with 41-33 at the half.

Kea's 3 in the first minute of the fourth quarter gave the Tar Heels their only lead of regulation. Duke went back up by eight with 1:35 remaining but Kea had eight points in a closing 10-2 run, forcing OT with a catch-and-shot 3 from the leftwing on an inbounds play.

North Carolina closed the fourth quarter making 5 of 6 shots and went 5 of 6 in OT. Kea and Church each had five 3s and UNC had 13 triples.

Duke went 5 of 11 in OT, but finished 1 of 6. The Blue Devils were also 2 of 6 from the line in the last 65 seconds of regulation.

Haley Gorecki scored a career-high 29 points for Duke (15-5, 4-3) and Lexie Brown had 19 points and 10 rebounds.