Gray leads No. 6 North Carolina to 65-36 victory

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Allisha Gray scored 17 points and No. 6 North Carolina bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 65-36 victory over Maine at the Carolinas Challenge on Friday night.

The Tar Heels (10-1) fell to No. 16 Oregon State 70-55 on Tuesday night, yet opened with a 14-0 lead in this one and looked like they’d easily run past the Black Bears (7-4). But Sigi Koizar’s three-point play drew Maine within 24-21 with 18 minutes to go. That’s when Gray powered North Carolina on a 20-3 run over the next six minutes to take control.

Latifah Coleman started things with a 3-pointer, Gray made two foul shots before Coleman’s three-point play. Gray added a 3-pointer and a three-point play and Jamie Cherry capped the charge with another long-range basket for a 44-24 lead.

Coleman added 10 points for North Carolina.

Koizar led Maine with nine points.