Tar Heels’ buzzer-beater bounces 5th-seeded Buckeyes

Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

Jamie Cherry has been at her best lately with the clock winding down.

She beat another buzzer — and sent North Carolina back to the Sweet 16.

Cherry’s jumper with 0.6 seconds left sent the Tar Heels past Ohio State 86-84 on Monday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“Taking the big shot, it’s a big shot and everybody dreams of hitting the shot,” Cherry said. “I just wanted us to move on to the Sweet 16, especially for our seniors. ... I didn’t want it to end here for them.”

Stephanie Mavunga had a career-high 27 points and 14 rebounds, Allisha Gray added 20 points and Brittany Rountree had 15 for the fourth-seeded Tar Heels (26-8).

They blew a 23-point lead before Cherry’s latest big shot sent them into a Greensboro Regional semifinal matchup against top-seeded South Carolina (32-2) on Friday night.

Ameryst Alston had 30 points for the fifth-seeded Buckeyes (24-11), who never led but tied it twice during a frantic final minute — the last coming when Kelsey Mitchell’s free throws made it 84-all with 5.1 seconds left.

“I never thought that we were out of the game,” Mitchell said, “but I did think when we buckled down and played defense like we’re supposed to, we can make something happen.”

The Tar Heels brought in Cherry in place of 6-foot guard N’Dea Bryant because of what coach Sylvia Hatchell called “divine intervention”.

“I knew she could make it,” Hatchell said.

Gray inbounded to Cherry, who raced down the right sideline through the Ohio State pressure and pulled up for an 18-footer that swished through.

It was the second clutch shot this month for the freshman, who hit a 40-footer at the regulation buzzer to force overtime in an eventual loss to Louisville on March 6 in an Atlantic Coast Conference quarterfinal.

“It was the same feeling,” Cherry said. “I still was nervous.”

This time, the Buckeyes didn’t get a shot off before the horn.

Mitchell, the nation’s leading scorer, finished with 25 points and Alexa Hart added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Ohio State.