As Deja Kelly goes, so does the UNC women’s basketball team.
Kelly averages 16.9 points per game, most on the Tar Heels. She has the speed to get around defenders and convert at the rim, plus a strong jump-shooting ability to knock down shots from either mid-range or the perimeter.
Earlier in tonight’s game against sixth-ranked NC State, Kelly beat the third-quarter buzzer with a shot that bounced off the back iron. North Carolina went into the final break up 61-51, giving it a huge momentum boost that put it just 10 minutes away from its greatest upset on the season and – in the larger picture – closer towards an NCAA Tournament berth.
Deja Kelly an absolute killer 😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/QZIZuQYMtG
— Ianni CH (@skywriterblog) February 23, 2024
The Wolfpack (23-3, 11-3), second in the ACC behind Virginia Tech, won their past three games coming into tonight. They’ll still be a high seed in the Big Dance, but our Tar Heels are putting a huge dent in their hopes for an ACC crown.
Earlier this year, UNC was first place in the ACC. A 4-game skid sent them tumbling down the standings, but two straight wins have changed North Carolina’s outlook for the better.
If the Tar Heels are going to find any kind of postseason success, they’ll need Kelly to continue hitting big shots like her buzzer-beater.
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