CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Along with shooting 55.6 percent (30 of 54), No. 11 North Carolina outscored Radford 40-19 in the second half in a 74-48 non-conference women's basketball win on Tuesday evening at the Smith Center.

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Cetera DeGraffenreid paced North Carolina (7-1) with a game-high 15 points, while Waltiea Rolle and Italee Lucas each added 11.

Brooke McElroy (Richmond, Va. / Thomas Dale) led the Highlanders (1-6) with 13 points, a Radford-best for the Monmouth transfer.

“This was our best overall effort of the season," head coach Tajama Abraham Ngongba said.  "Each game, we've been getting better at something."

"And with a competitive schedule, where the games have gotten tougher, so have our players.”

Despite connecting on less than 40 percent (11 of 30) of their attempts in the first half for the seventh straight contest, the Highlanders canned five of their 10 tries from behind the arc.

After the Tar Heels scored the first 12 points of the contest, Radford responded with a 17-4 run highlighted by five of its six three-pointers, including two each from Denay Wood (Bailey's Crossroads, Va. / Annandale) and Ashley Buckhannon (Wytheville, Va. / George Wythe).

“I thought it showed incredible courage and fortitude, in coming back," Ngongba said.  "We're young, and in games like that, it can go either way, any time.  They stayed confident, poised, and kept focusing on the little things, like working hard and being confident.”

Trailing 17-16 at the 9:45 mark, North Carolina erased its only deficit of the contest with a 14-4 streak before heading into the break with a 34-29 advantage.

The Highlanders made the most of UNC's 15 first-half miscues turning them into 17 points.

The Tar Heels opened the second half with another lengthy run (17-5), stretching their lead back to double digits, where it would stay the rest of the way.

“I thought we played hard and played confident, but if you don't take care of the ball, Carolina will make you pay for it," Ngongba said. "In both turnovers and the transition game.  But I'm proud of our players, and they never quit.”

Both teams committed 26 turnovers and combined for 33 steals (UNC – 18 / RU – 16). Radford finished the evening shooting 30.8 percent (16-52) from the floor and 42.9 percent (6-14) from long range.

North Carolina, which assisted on 22 of its 30 field goals, outrebounded the Highlanders, 44-26.

Radford returns to action Saturday afternoon when it travels to Richmond for a 4 p.m. contest with in-state foe VCU.