COLUMBIA, S.C. (Michigan News Source) – A slow start turned into a 16-point deficit in the first quarter that no. 8 seeded Michigan State University couldn’t overcome as they fell in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament to North Carolina, 59-56. The first quarter became the biggest difference as MSU outscored the Tar Heels, 46-36, over the final three quarters.

Robyn Fralick, in her first year at MSU and a national champion coach at NCAA Division II Ashland University, commented after the game saying, “And I’m proud of our team. I think we were down two with two minutes and 22 seconds left in the game and gave ourselves some hope there right to the end. So the last games are always really hard and you don’t always know when they are going to come but you know, I think about this game and there’s going to be things we are going to think we can do better and this and that and we are going to be able to pick that apart but the bigger part of this game is, I’m just really, really proud of our team for this season.”

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Three Spartans scored in double figures as Julia Ayrault led the way with 14 points and nine rebounds. Theryn Hallock also added 14 points and Moira Joiner gave 13 points. DeeDee Hagemann came away with eight assists tying for the second-most single game assists in program NCAA Tournament history.

Joiner commented at the press conference about the season saying, “Gratitude is a great word for us. I’m from Michigan, so playing in the green and White for five years has been like the world to me. It’s been a dream come true, and I just think that like I’m so grateful for the team and I just told them like in the locker room, like you guys have so much to build on. Like don’t be satisfied with this season. And like go get a Big Ten Championship next year because we have a ton of people coming back and other teams don’t.”

UNC took a 7-2 lead just three minutes into the first quarter and built their lead to 16, 23-7, with 1:02 left in the quarter. MSU scored the final three points to make it 23-10 but dug a deep hole to come back from. UNC kept a double-digit lead for most of the second quarter but two Hallock free throws brought it down to seven, 30-27. Tory Ozment banked in a shot from Hagemann with one second left before half to bring UNC’s lead down to eight, 35-27.

It became a defensive battle in the third quarter as UNC still kept a double-digit lead but was held to just nine points after scoring 23 in the first quarter. MSU couldn’t get their offense going, either, adding just eight points, trailing 44-35, as no one made any shots the final two and half minutes.

A late push from MSU came in the fourth quarter going on an 11-1 run over three minutes to trim the lead to two, 55-53, with 18 seconds left on an Ozment layup. With five seconds to go, a three-pointer by Hallock put MSU within one, 57-56. Immediately fouling, UNC made just one-of-two free throws but grabbed the rebound and was fouled again. Making the first one for the 59-56 lead, UNC missed the second but also took the rebound to end the game.

The 22 wins were the most for MSU since the 2015-16 season when they won 25.