The Illinois women’s basketball team led 25-23 at the end of the first half against No. 2 North Carolina on Saturday – the first time the Tar Heels (12-0) have trailed at halftime this season. Unfortunately for the Illini, they could not live up to head coach Jolette Law’s season mantra of “put two halves together,” eventually dropping the game 68-59 at the Carolinas Challenge.

However, Law continues to see the potential in her squad.

“I’ve been telling this team all along that they can be great, they just need to start believing that,” Law said. “To play like we did today against a great team shows that we can compete with any team in the country.”

Tar Heels forward and recent Sports Illustrated cover girl, Rashanda McCants, highlighted the North Carolina offense early in the game, scoring her team’s first six points. She finished the game with 15 points and 8 rebounds.

But the first half was all about Illinois (4-7). Defensively, they did the “little things,” getting their hands in the passing lanes and forcing the Tar Heels into difficult shots. They also frequently dove on the floor for loose balls, shaking Carolina out of their offensive rhythm.

On the offensive end, the Illini worked the ball into junior Jenna Smith early and often. Smith saw less double teams down low and took advantage, showing off a variety of post moves. She led all scorers with 20 points in 40 minutes.

Smith wasn’t alone, with four of the five starters going the distance. Freshman Macie Blinn was the only reserve to come off the bench, playing three minutes to give redshirt freshman Lydia McCully a quick breather in the second half.

Although the Illini have been working on conditioning in practice recently, they didn’t have enough in the tank to finish off the Tar Heels and their deep bench. The fatigue showed in Smith and McCully’s shooting, as the two finished a combined 12 of 31 from the field.

“This was a very intense, up-tempo game,” Smith said. “You really needed to be on your toes. I think I could have finished a little better inside, but their posts are very athletic and very talented so things like boxing out and hustling were the first things my mind.”

The Illini peaked early in the second half, rattling off seven straight points. This prompted a Carolina timeout and Coach Law to jump off the bench and emphatically high-five her players.

The Tar Heels began a quick rally that was squashed by Smith when she nailed an NBA-range three pointer to put the Illini back up by six. But North Carolina’s ensuing 18-2 run all but crushed the Illini’s hopes of a much-needed victory.

The Illini are set to begin Big Ten play Monday against Purdue at the Assembly Hall. It will be a change of pace for an Illinois team that emphasized their best play is still to come.

“The Big Ten season is an exciting time,” Smith said. “The intensity level steps up a notch because everyone knows everyone and how they play. It’s been a tough non-conference season, but I think it’s prepared us for the Big Ten. Everyone starts equal now going into conference play and I think we’re definitely ready.”