Brittany Rountree scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half and No. 24 North Carolina overcome a sloppy effort and beat Virginia Tech 56-37 on Thursday night, ending a three-game losing streak.
The Tar Heels (13-5, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), coming off an 86-35 loss at Connecticut that was the worst loss in program history, also got 14 points from Chay Shegog. North Carolina won despite 19 turnovers and 5-for-14 shooting from the foul line.
The Hokies (6-13, 2-4), playing with only six scholarship players available, trailed 25-21 at halftime. North Carolina used a 9-2 run to start the second half to take control. Virginia Tech never got closer than seven again. It was the Hokies' fourth consecutive loss under first-year coach Dennis Wolff.
Monet Tellier led the Hokies with 16 points and Porschia Hadley had eight.
Rountree hit the first of her three 3-pointers 43 seconds into the second half, sparking the run that gave North Carolina a 34-23 lead.
The Hokies pulled within seven several times, the last at 38-31. The Tar Heels used a 15-2 run to put the game away. Rountree had eight points, including two 3-pointers to start it, and Shegog, from Stafford, Va., had six in the run.
The Tar Heels, playing their second of three consecutive road games, trailed 10-4 before going on a 17-6 run over the next 10 minutes.
Waltiea Rolle had three baskets in the burst and Shegog had two while the Hokies shot 2 for 12 with five of their 10 turnovers.
North Carolina improved to 14-3 against the Hokies, including 4-2 at Cassell Coliseum, where the Tar Heels men's team was to face the Hokies later on Thursday.
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