CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart had no update on the health of top scorer and rebounder Alyssa Ustby after she exited early in the 12th-ranked Tar Heels' win against 10th-ranked rival NC State on Sunday.
Ustby played just 2½ minutes in the 66-65 win. She left the sideline after checking out, and then never returned to the bench after exiting. It wasn't exactly clear what had occurred.
Banghart said she didn't know exactly what happened to Ustby "and still don't" beyond team staffers telling her at halftime that Ustby was done for the day.
"I haven't even seen her," Banghart said. "Literally, I have not even seen her face. So I don't know. Know nothing."
The 6-foot-1, fifth-year forward entered the game averaging 11.2 points and 9.7 rebounds this season and having started 136 of her 143 career games at UNC. Her absence left a massive hole defensively and on the glass, where the Wolfpack finished with a 20-rebound advantage and had 18 offensive rebounds for an 18-2 edge in second-chance points.
"I was like, 'Wait, why are we not rebounding the ball?' Because Alyssa's not in," guard Reniya Kelly said. "It was just a realization that she's a big part of why we win games."
Still, the Tar Heels managed to push past the Wolfpack, who had two six-point leads in the final three minutes -- the last one coming on Madison Hayes' corner 3-pointer to make it 63-57 with 1:50 left.
Kelly answered with her own 3 to cap a career-high 23-point effort, while graduate transfer Grace Townsend hit two go-ahead free throws with 5.2 seconds left before a final-play stop sealed it.
"We just got just enough from everybody," Banghart said.
The Tar Heels (23-4, 11-3) have won five straight and 10 of 11 overall.