No. 22 North Carolina women defeat Virginia Tech 66-63 in OT

Nyla Harris scores 15 points and grabs 9 rebounds in the victory

Feb. 27, 2026 at 9:07pm

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The No. 22 North Carolina women's basketball team defeated Virginia Tech 66-63 in overtime on Thursday night. Nyla Harris led the Tar Heels with 15 points and 9 rebounds, while Elina Aarnisalo added 13 points and 5 assists. The game featured 11 lead changes and 5 ties, with neither team leading by more than 9 points.

Why it matters

This was an important ACC matchup between two ranked teams, with North Carolina bouncing back from a loss to Duke and Virginia Tech looking to solidify its position in the conference standings.

The details

North Carolina's Nyla Harris, Elina Aarnisalo, and Lanie Grant combined for all 9 overtime points to lead the Tar Heels to victory. Virginia Tech was led by Carys Baker and Samyha Suffren, who each scored 15 points, but the Hokies struggled shooting the ball, making just 34% of their shots.

  • The game was played on Thursday, February 20, 2026.

The players

Nyla Harris

A key player for the North Carolina Tar Heels, scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in the overtime victory.

Elina Aarnisalo

Contributed 13 points and 5 assists for the Tar Heels in the win.

Carys Baker

Scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for the Virginia Tech Hokies in the losing effort.

Samyha Suffren

Also scored 15 points for the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Kilah Freelon

Led the Hokies with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.

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What’s next

Both teams resume play on Sunday, as No. 22 North Carolina hosts Pitt and Virginia Tech welcomes Georgia Tech.

The takeaway

This was a hard-fought ACC matchup between two ranked teams, with North Carolina's experience and clutch play in overtime proving to be the difference in the end.