Tag: Alyssa Ustby

Two dominant victories help UNC WBB climb two spots in latest AP Poll

Where did the UNC women’s basketball team land in the latest AP Poll?

If you haven’t watched the UNC women’s basketball team play yet this season, I highly suggest you start now.

North Carolina (9-1) is in the midst of a 6-game winning streak, with its latest victory coming Sunday against Coppin State (72-46). The Tar Heels are showcasing their depth in each game, sometimes rolling as deep as 10 players, while new players are quickly filling the shoes of transfer portal departures.

As a result of their recent success, UNC climbed to 14th in the latest AP Poll, a spot between Big 12 programs Kansas State (13th) and West Virginia (15th). North Carolina was 16th in the previous AP Poll, beginning the Week of Monday, Dec. 2.

Before beating Coppin State on Sunday, the Tar Heels overwhelmed a ranked Kentucky squad, 72-53, on Wednesday during the ACC-SEC Challenge in Chapel Hill. UNC’s current winning streak started back on Saturday, November 23 against Ball State in the Battle 4 Atlantis – and includes a championship victory against Indiana.

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North Carolina’s only loss on the season came to UConn, a National Championship contender led by All-Star Paige Bueckers, back on Nov. 15 in Greensboro, N.C. The Tar Heels’ additional victories include Charleston Southern, UNC-Wilmington, North Carolina A&T, Villanova and North Carolina Central.

UNC is led by fifth-year star forward Alyssa Ustby, who averages 11.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. North Carolina’s roster also includes a pair of returning starters in guard Lexi Donarski and center Maria Gakdeng, several offseason transfers headlined by Trayanna Crisp, plus star freshmen like 5-star Blanca Thomas.

The Tar Heels can become just the fourth women’s basketball program to reach double-digit wins on Wednesday, Dec. 11, when it welcomes in-state opponent UNC-Greensboro to Carmichael Arena.

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UNC WBB dominates Coppin State on Sunday afternoon, wins sixth-straight

Watch out for the UNC women’s basketball team.

The UNC women’s basketball team continues to prove why it should be seriously considered as one of the country’s best.

North Carolina’s early-season dominance continued on Sunday afternoon inside Carmichael Arena, as it stomped Coppin State, 72-46.

UNC (9-1) scored 46 points alone in the first half, 23 in both the first and second quarters, which ended up being the visiting Eagles’ (6-5) point total.  North Carolina cooled off a bit in the second half, totaling just 26 points (14 in the third quarter, 12 in the fourth), but Coppin State wasn’t able take advantage.

All 13 players on the Tar Heels’ roster saw game action Sunday, with guard Indya Nivar playing a team-high 22 minutes. Maria Gakdeng, UNC’s star center who missed several games earlier this season with injury, was one of 12 Tar Heels to score. Gakdeng turned in a game-high 10 points.

North Carolina dominated Coppin State in virtually every area, but most notably in 3-point percentage, rebounds, assists and points in the paint.

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The Tar Heels shot 46.2 percent from the perimeter, an encouraging sign considering their struggles earlier this season. Lexi Donarski, arguably UNC’s best 3-point shooter, went 3-of-5 from deep.

North Carolina used height to its advantage, out-rebounding Coppin State 49-37. Nivar, Blanca Thomas and Trayanna Crisp each grabbed six boards. The Tar Heels also carried a 22-8 points in the paint advantage.

UNC dished out 18 assists to the visiting Eagles’ six. Nivar and Alyssa Ustby each recorded three assists.

North Carolina will stay home for two more games this week, facing UNC-Greensboro on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. and Georgia Tech on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. in its ACC opener.

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Alyssa Ustby, lockdown defense help UNC WBB advance

The UNC women’s basketball team is playing for a tournament championship on Monday.

Just three weeks into its basketball season, the UNC women’s basketball team will be playing in a championship game.

Thanks to a 53-36 victory over Villanova on Sunday, North Carolina advanced to the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game.

The Tar Heels will be facing Indiana at 12 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25. UNC previously beat Ball State on Saturday, while the Hoosiers emerged victorious against Columbia and Baylor.

In North Carolina’s Sunday semifinal victory, players turned in their best defensive performance through six games.

The Tar Heels limited Villanova to 36 points, the Wildcats’ lowest in a game this year and lowest output by a UNC opponent, on just 23.5% field goal shooting. Villanova scored just seven points in the opening quarter and five in the third, while North Carolina’s lowest quarter output was nine in the fourth.

The Tar Heels weren’t lighting it up from the field, but their offense shot a respectable 40 percent.

Alyssa Ustby was UNC’s undisputed star, recording a double-double with 14 points and rebounds apiece. This was Ustby’s highest rebound total in a game this year, plus her second-consecutive game with one, as Ustby notched a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double against Ball State.

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Lexi Donarski joined Ustby in double-figures, scoring 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting. 10 different Tar Heels played, with Ustby, Donarski, Indya Nivar and Lanie Grant all recording a minimum 20 minutes.

With the exception of a Friday, Nov. 15 loss against UConn, North Carolina is playing great basketball right now. UNC is ranked, 5-1 to start the season and has a golden opportunity to bring hardware back to Chapel Hill.

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Courtney Banghart and Alyssa Ustby notch milestones

UNC’s Battle 4 Atlantis-opening victory included a couple historical milestones from its head coach and star forward.

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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UNC WBB starts season with a dominant victory thanks to star returners

The UNC women’s basketball team looked plenty strong in a season-opening blowout win over Charleston Southern on Monday.

Headlined by the return of 2023-2024 starters Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski, the UNC women’s basketball team was itching to get back on the court for live game play.

North Carolina, ranked 15th in the preseason AP poll, had the first chance to prove its ranking earlier today against Charleston Southern.

After a slow start in the first quarter, the Tar Heels finally pulled away from the Buccaneers for an 83-53 victory.

UNC (1-0) and CSU had an early tip time for their season opener, with gameplay kicking off at 11 a.m.

If you were concerned about how North Carolina would gel in its first game, I don’t blame you. The Tar Heels said goodbye to leading scorer Deja Kelly in the offseason, as she transferred to Oregon. You shouldn’t feel too bad about Kelly leaving, as she recently professed how she carried the team on her back, all four years of her years in Chapel Hill.

UNC looked just fine against the Buccaneers, as Ustby, Donarski and Arizona State transfer Trayanna Crisp all scored in double-figures. Ustby led the charge with a well-rounded outing – recording 18 points, grabbing a game-high eight rebounds, dishing out four assists and adding a game-high two blocks.

I know it’s just the first game, but North Carolina showcased a potentially deep roster in the blowout win over CSU. 12 Tar Heels played, with 11 of those Tar Heels recording a minimum 10 minutes, led by 28 from Donarski.

UNC has a quick turnaround in Week One, welcoming the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks to Carmichael Arena on Thursday, Nov. 7 for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

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UNC WBB star Alyssa Ustby named to prestigious award watch list

Alyssa Ustby will be a leader on the UNC women’s basketball team this year. She gained some well-deserved preseason recognition Wednesday.

After years leading the UNC women’s basketball program alongside Deja Kelly, it’s now time for Alyssa Ustby to step up and be the captain we all known she can be.

Ustby was a double-double machine for the Tar Heels last year, recording 16 across 33 games. Ustby ended her senior year with 12.5 points and a career-best 12.5 points per game.

When Ustby announced her return for a fifth and final year, North Carolina immediately became an ACC favorite.

Ustby herself is also a favorite to earn a prestigious honor in women’s basketball, as she was recently named to the Cheryl Miller Award Watch List.

Ustby is one of 20 nominees for the Cheryl Miller Award – and one of just three from the ACC, joining NC State’s Madison Hayes and Boston College’s Andrea Daley.

Cheryl Miller is arguably one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time. She was named Naismith National Player of the Year three times in college, then led USA to Olympic Gold in 1984.

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I’m not saying Ustby is the main reason for UNC’s on-court success, but she plays a major role in it. North Carolina has made the past four NCAA Tournaments – all with Ustby on the roster – with its deepest run to the 2022 Sweet 16.

While Ustby was counted on for most of the Tar Heels’ rebounding production two seasons ago, she got some much-needed help from Maria Gakdeng in the transfer portal last year. Gakdeng will return and form a formidable post duo with Ustby this coming season, which starts on Monday, Nov. 4 against Charleston Southern.

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Where does UNC WBB land in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25?

Can the UNC women’s basketball team play up to its Way-Too-Early preseason ranking?

The UNC women’s basketball team is going to look a little different this coming season, but it’ll still be full of talent.

North Carolina said goodbye to star guard and scoring leader Deja Kelly, plus reserves Anya Poole, Alexandra Zelaya, Teonni Key and Paulina Paris, in the transfer portal. The Tar Heels will return three starters, plus they bring in several stars from the recruiting trail .

In what’s typically a deep ACC, UNC is expected to thrive in its sixth year under head coach Courtney Banghart.

North Carolina is also predicted to thrive amongst all of college basketball. Just a month ahead of their first regular season game, on Monday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. against Charleston Southern in Carmichael Arena, the Tar Heels were ranked 13th in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.

“Depth, with an interesting mix of experience and youth, should be the hallmark for the Tar Heels,” Charlie Creme wrote. “Lexi Donarski and Alyssa Ustby return for their fifth seasons, joined by 6-3 senior Maria Gakdeng and point guard Grace Townsend, a grad transfer from Richmond. Courtney Banghart added another point guard in freshman Lanie Grant, the Virginia player of the year, and 6-5 five-star recruit Blanca Thomas. The 6-4 Ciera Toomey is ready to go after redshirting last season.”

Ustby, Donarski and Gakdend are returning starters from 2023. Ustby was practically a walking double-double in 2023, averaging 12.5 points and 95 rebounds per game. Donarski is a sharpshooter, making a UNC-high 74 3-pointers last year, while Gakdeng’s 51 blocks at center led UNC.

Townsend is a do-it-all point guard, as she averaged 4.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and a career-high 13.4 points per game for Richmond during the 2023-2024 campaign.

Grant and Thomas are two of the best recruits in recent North Carolina memory. Toomey is a former Miss Pennsylvania basketball winner.

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Coaches and players echo “connection” for UNC at ACC Tip-Off

“Connected” like never before is the sentiment from coaches and players alike for the upcoming women’s basketball season.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, the second day of women’s basketball was featured as a part of the ACC Tip-Off media event. Yesterday, a plethora of women’s college basketball teams were interviewed that finished today with a few teams including UNC women’s basketball.

Represented at the media event for the Tar Heels were head coach Courtney Banghart and veterans Lexi Donarski, Alyssa Ustby, and Maria Gakdeng.

Head coach Courtney Banghart was asked first media day what excites her most about the upcoming season.

I think that this is a really connected group. It’s a popular time to talk about those types of words, but it’s not a word I would have always used and this group is really connected with one another. We have a healthy blend of experience with a lot of youthful talent. Most importantly, our experience tangibly sheds that to their peer groups in a really connected way, and we’re healthy!

Coming into a season where the team lost its best scorer Deja Kelly to the transfer portal, hearing that the girls have come together and are seeking to play as one unit could be huge for the upcoming season.

In the same press conference, Alyssa Ustby, a fifth-year senior this year, echoed Banghart’s sentiment about the team saying “I attribute a lot of my successes to my teammates … just being a part of an incredible program that has coaches who are invested in my development.”

There will be ebbs and flows to the upcoming season for the preseason ranked No. 13 Tar Heels, but there is nothing better than seeing full-court basketball played when no one cares who gets the credit.

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Could a Top-20 recruit be headed to the UNC women’s basketball team?

Can the UNC women’s basketball program compile a convincing case to lure this top recruit in the Class of 2025?

Thanks to their rediscovered success in recent years, including four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the North Carolina Tar Heels have become a premier destination for women’s basketball talent.

UNC can thank head coach Courtney Banghart, plus the star-powered duo of Alyssa Ustby and Deja Kelly, for that recent success.

North Carolina’s deepest run since Banghart took over came during the 2021-2022 campaign, making the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual champion South Carolina. The Tar Heels won an NCAA Tournament game in each of the past three years, with the most recent coming against Michigan State this March.

Ustby nearly averaged a double-double last season, with 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, not far above her career averages of 12 and 8.2. Kelly, now with Oregon, averaged at least 16.3 points per game in each of her past three years.

What UNC loses in Kelly, it gains in several talented freshman recruits entering the fall, highlighted by reigning Virginia Girls Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year Lanie Grant.

North Carolina is also in the mix for a Class of 2025 standout, with Top-20 recruit Jordan Speiser, a 5-star recruit and Missouri’s reigning Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year, announcing the Tar Heels as finalists.

Iowa, Kansas State and Ohio State all made the NCAA Tournament last year, highlighted by the Hawkeyes making the Title Game, before losing to South Carolina. TCU hasn’t made the Big Dance since 2010.

If  the Tar Heels land Speiser, she’d be one of their greatest recruiting victories in program history. Speiser is fresh off a dominant junior campaign, in which she registered a career-high 22.9 points per game for Lutheran St. Charles, en route to a state championship.

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Alyssa Ustby announces return to UNC in nostalgia-provoking video

Good news, Tar Heel fans: Alyssa Ustby is BACK as she announced her return on Friday.

If you’ve been watching UNC women’s basketball games since the 2020-2021 campaign, then you’ve surely seen Alyssa Ustby tearng up the court.

Ustby, the senior forward from Rochester, Minn., is practically a walking double-double. She averaged 12.5 points and a career-high 9.5 rebounds per game last season, with her best outing undoubtedly being the 16-point, 16-rebound, 10-assist triple-double she recorded on Jan. 4 against Syracuse – the first triple-double in North Carolina program history.

She’s been fortunate to also have a player of Deja Kelly’s caliber by her side, with the two forming one of the ACC’s best guard-forward combos in the past few season. The duo led UNC to the Round of 32 in last year’s NCAA Tournament, but the Sweet 16 in 2022.

While Kelly might be gone next year, as she entered her name in the portal earlier this month, Ustby announced she’d be returning for her fifth and final season on Friday, April 26.

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Ustby’s announcement is a major win for the Tar Heels, who’ve already seen six players enter the transfer portal. UNC did nab a major win in the portal recently, though, snagging Grace Townsend from Richmond.

Ustby will be part of what’s expected to be a deep roster this coming fall, one that also returns starters from a season ago in 3-point machine Lexi Donarski and towering center Maria Gakdeng. Key reserves Reniya Kelly and Indya Nivar come back, as is Kayla McPherson from a knee injury, while incoming 5-stars Lanie Grant and Blanca Thomas join the roster.

Can Ustby lead the Tar Heels to the promised land in her final year?

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