North Carolina holds off St. John’s 61-59 in March Madness
North Carolina guard Deja Kelly (25) reacts after beating St. John's 61-59 in a first-round women's college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Paul Sancya]
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Deja Kelly had a go-ahead three-point play with 2 seconds left and No. 6 seed North Carolina hung on for a 61-59 win over 11th-seeded St. John’s in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. With the game tied at 58, Kelly drove the left lane and made the free throw to complete the game-winning score. Patterson then was fouled after a timeout shooting a 3-pointer with just over a second left that gave the Red Storm one last chance. She missed the first two free throws and then inexplicably made third one ending any chance the Red Storm had to tie the game.
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North Carolina guard Deja Kelly (25) shoots the winning basket between St. John's guard Mimi Reid (2) and Rayven Peeples (20) in the second half of a first-round women's college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. North Carolina won 61-59. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Paul Sancya
St. John's forward Danielle Patterson (3) reacts to a basket against North Carolina in the second half of a first-round women's college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Paul Sancya