CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The University of South Dakota women's basketball team gave No. 11-ranked North Carolina all it could handle on Sunday but the Coyotes' upset bid fell short as the Tar Heels prevailed, 75-69, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

USD (18-11) put together a valiant effort against UNC, which is headed to the NCAA tournament starting next week.

The Coyotes led at halftime and by as many as 15 points early in the second half. Even when North Carolina went on a run to take a 55-52 lead with 11:39 left - USD answered with a 10-2 run of its own to regain the lead at 62-57 with 6:53 left.

The game was tied at 67-67 with 3:17 left after Ashley Wiemann (Sr., Vermillion, S.D.) nailed a three-pointer.

North Carolina broke the tie with Jessica Breland basket with 2:59 left. USD had four chances to tie the game but couldn't get a shot to drop. Christina Dewitt hit a basket to put North Carolina up 71-67 with 1:17 left. USD got back within two after two Jasmine Mosley (Jr., Bellevue, Neb.) free throws with 56 seconds left.

However, USD got no closer as the Tar Heels hit four free throws in the final 19 seconds to ice the game.

Wiemann finished with a game-high 23 points, just missing her career-high by one point. She tied a career-high with seven 3-pointers. Bridget Yoerger (Sr., Hinton, Iowa) followed with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Annie Roche (RFr., Vermillion, S.D.) chipped in with 11 points and a team-high six assists. Mosley added 10 points and five assists for USD.

"We couldn't be more proud of the effort and execution that these ladies exhibited today," USD head coach Ryun Williams said in his postgame radio interview. "It was unbelievable basketball."

From the start, USD didn't back down from their No. 11-ranked opponents. USD played an impressive first half that saw the Coyotes take a nine-point lead into halftime.

USD opened the game on a 9-4 run. Wiemann hit two three-pointers and Yoerger added one as USD started out quickly.

Moments after a media timeout which saw USD hold a 9-8 lead, Maggie Youngberg (Sr., Yankton, S.D.) drained a three-pointer to put USD up 12-8 with 15:27 left in the first half.

The Tar Heels cut the gap to 15-14 with 13:01 left in the half, but USD responded with a 12-4 run to take a 27-18 lead. Wiemann hit three 3-pointers during that stretch and Yoerger added one.

USD opened 9-of-12 from three-point range, with all of their first 27 points coming from the three-point line.

The Coyotes built their biggest lead of the half, 35-24 with 6:40 left in the half after Natalie Carda (Sr., Beresford, S.D.) drained a three-pointer.

Wiemann got off to a blazing start from the field, scoring 20 points in the first 12 minutes of the game. She started 7-of-9 from the field. USD took a 41-32 lead into halftime. Wiemann's 20 points paced USD in the opening frame, followed by 13 from Yoerger. Youngberg and Carda both hit big three-pointers for the Coyotes.

Mosley had four assists in the first half for USD, while Roche had three. Yoerger led USD with seven rebounds.

The Coyotes shot 15-of-29 (51.7 percent) from the field in the first half, including 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) from three-point range. The Tar Heels shot 37.8 percent (14-of-37) in the first half and were 0-of-8 from three-point range.

USD's lead grew to 44-32 after a three-point play by Roche, and moments later, the Coyotes extended their lead to 47-32 when Roche drained a three-pointer.

The Tar Heels went on a 23-5 run to take the lead at 55-52, and the game was close the rest of the way.

Youngberg finished with nine points for USD. Yoerger and Mosley had two steals each.

It marked the final game for five USD seniors: Carda, Amy Robinette (Sr., South Sioux City, Neb.), Wiemann, Yoerger and Youngberg.