In the UNC women’s basketball team’s first five games of 2023, it had little trouble beating opponents.
The Tar Heels won all five games, with their closest victory being a 54-51 clash against Vermont on Friday, Nov. 24 in the Gulf Coast Classic.
Saturday wasn’t as easy.
In its second game of the Gulf Coast Showcase, 18-ranked Carolina watched an 8-point first quarter doom itself in a 63-56 loss to 16-ranked Kansas State.
The Tar Heels outscored the Wildcats, 48-47, in the final three quarters.
The first thing that stands out, to me, is the rebounding margin. Kansas State out-rebounded UNC by a 46-25 mark, with 6’6″ center Ayoka Lee grab 12 as part of a double-double.
Alyssa Ustby, Carolina’s star guard/forward, grabbed nine rebounds. No other Tar Heel grabbed more than two, while five Wildcats pulled down at least five.
UNC also shot a torrid 10 percent (2-of-20) from downtown. Kansas State didn’t fare much better, with a 5-for-17 mark, but those extra three perimeter makes proved to be the difference.
One area the Tar Heels did perform extremely well in was steals, swiping the ball 13 times to the Wildcats’ two. Carolina star Deja Kelly, who stole the basketball a team-high five times, also anchored her team’s scoring attack with 14 points.
Kelly and Kayla McPherson (11 points) were the only two Tar Heels in double-figures, while Serena Sundell (16), Gisela Sanchez (15) and Lee (14) all reached the 10-point mark.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for UNC. After its tournament finale on Sunday, Nov. 26, it hosts top-ranked South Carolina on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.
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