Saturday was a pretty special day for the UNC women’s basketball program, which kicked off its journey through the Battle 4 Atlantis.
North Carolina used a 19-point first quarter to create some needed breathing room against Ball State, later beating the Cardinals by a 63-52 margin. The Tar Heels advanced to play Villanova in Sunday’s semifinal matchup, but in the process of Saturday’s victory, they notched a historical market for their head coach.
Courtney Banghart, who took over UNC ahead of the 2019 season, recorded her 100th victory in Chapel Hill with her team’s win over Ball State.
Banghart wasn’t the only Tar Heel to record a milestone, as star forward Alyssa Ustby also snagged her 1000th career rebound.
When Sylvia Hatchell resigned after North Carolina’s 2018-2019 campaign, which included the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in four seasons, North Carolina didn’t have to wait long to find Banghart. UNC went out and hired the longtime Princeton head coach in Banghart, who led her Tiger teams to eight NCAA Tournaments and two Ivy League tournament titles.
The Tar Heels have made the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive seasons under Banghart, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in the 2021-2022 campaign.
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Ustby is one of the most loyal Tar Heels you’ll ever set eyes on, as she’s now playing her fifth season in Chapel Hill. UNC’s win over Ball State was easily Ustby’s best of her final year in Carolina Blue, as she recorded her first double-double of the season, with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ustby has career averages of 12.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, which will only increase as she continues balling out this year.
North Carolina is extremely lucky to have a head coach of Banghart’s caliber – and a player of Ustby’s.
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