Tag: North Carolina Tar Heels Women’s Basketball

Tar Heels take down Duke in regular season finale at Carmichael

Deja Kelly and Alyssa Utsby helped lead the North Carolina Tar Heels to a big win over Duke to end the regular season.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ women’s basketball team has had their struggles as of late but on Sunday, they closed out the regular season on a positive note.

North Carolina held off Duke for a 63-59 win over the Blue Devils, getting some key free throws late and forcing a miss that would have tied it as well with seconds remaining. In the end, UNC was able to hit a few clutch free throws including two by Deja Kelly to seal it.

The Tar Heels jumped out to a 17-7 lead after the first quarter, using good defense to trip up the Blue Devils. But it wouldn’t be long before Duke rallied, out-scoring the Tar Heels 24-13 and taking a 31-30 lead at the break.

The second half was tight.

The Tar Heels managed to tie it going into the fourth and made plays in the end to take the lead and hold it for good. Kelly led the Tar Heels with 18 points while Alyssa Utsby had 17 including the key defensive play late in the game.

North Carolina finishes the regular season at 19-11 overall and 11-7 in ACC play.  They will take on Miami on Thursday in the ACC Tournament.

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UNC women’s basketball upsets NC State

The UNC women’s basketball program gets a big upset win over No. 6 NC State at home on Thursday night.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ women’s basketball team hit a bit of a road bump back in January, losing four straight games including to rivals Duke and NC State. But recently, Courtney Banghart’s team has bounced back in a big way.

On Thursday, the Tar Heels got a little revenge on the No. 6 Wolfpack, scoring a top-10 upset win.

North Carolina took down the Wolfpack 80-70 at home, extending their win streak to three games. The Tar Heels took control of the game from the start and led 22-20 after the first quarter.

They opened up a 42-35 lead at halftime and kept that lead throughout the second half, outscoring the Wolfpack 19-16 in the third quarter. It never really felt like the Tar Heels were in trouble as Deja Kelly’s buzzer-beater extended the lead going into the fourth quarter.

And from there, they finished off the game to get a big win.

Lexi Donarski led the Tar Heels with 24 points, going 5-of-9 from the three-point line while Alyssa Utsby (13), Maria Gakdeng (12), Alexandra Zelaya (12) and Indya Nivar (11 points) all had double-digits.

The win moved the Tar Heels to 18-9 overall and 10-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. UNC will travel to Blacksburg on Sunday afternoon with a road showdown with the Hokies.

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WATCH: Deja Kelly beats buzzer, sends UNC into final quarter with 11-point lead

The UNC women’s basketball team is on the verge of upsetting sixth-ranked NC State. Tar Heels star Deja Kelly drained a major shot to help.

As Deja Kelly goes, so does the UNC women’s basketball team.

Kelly averages 16.9 points per game, most on the Tar Heels. She has the speed to get around defenders and convert at the rim, plus a strong jump-shooting ability to knock down shots from either mid-range or the perimeter.

Earlier in tonight’s game against sixth-ranked NC State, Kelly beat the third-quarter buzzer with a shot that bounced off the back iron. North Carolina went into the final break up 61-51, giving it a huge momentum boost that put it just 10 minutes away from its greatest upset on the season and – in the larger picture – closer towards an NCAA Tournament berth.

The Wolfpack (23-3, 11-3), second in the ACC behind Virginia Tech, won their past three games coming into tonight. They’ll still be a high seed in the Big Dance, but our Tar Heels are putting a huge dent in their hopes for an ACC crown.

Earlier this year, UNC was first place in the ACC. A 4-game skid sent them tumbling down the standings, but two straight wins have changed North Carolina’s outlook for the better.

If the Tar Heels are going to find any kind of postseason success, they’ll need Kelly to continue hitting big shots like her buzzer-beater.

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UNC WBB sets season-best shooting mark in win over Wake Forest

The UNC women’s basketball team won a close road game on Sunday at Wake Forest, but set a season-best mark in made shots while doing so.

Not a ton of time has passed since the UNC women’s basketball team was the ACC’s first-place team.

A 66-61 victory over Miami on Thursday, Jan. 25 moved the Tar Heels into a tie with Syracuse for first, with North Carolina holding the tie thanks to a head-to-head victory.

UNC then lost its next four games, falling down the ACC standings before righting the ship with consecutive wins against Pitt and Wake Forest, which bumped UNC back up to sixth.

Sunday’s road win at Wake Forest was anchored by a 25-point, 10-rebound double from star forward Alyssa Ustby.

The Tar Heels’ victory also saw them shoot a season-best 52.4 percent from the field, which was their best mark since last February.

Ustby shot a lights-out 10-of-11 on field goals, including her first made 3-pointer on the season, while Maria Gakdeng’s 4-of-6 field goal mark was second-best on North Carolina. Anya Poole, who tied a season-high with 18 minutes in her start, shot 3-of-6 from the field. Deja Kelly made 4-of-10 shots, while Lexi Donarski made one of just two attempts.

The Tar Heels have their toughest remaining regular-season test on Thursday night, as they welcome sixth-ranked rival NC State to Carmichael Arena for an 8 p.m tip.

Will UNC keep shooting lights out against one of the country’s best programs?

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How would UNC hoops teams be seeded if season ended today?

If the season ended today, where would the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams be seeded in their respective ACC Tournaments?

For a school known for its basketball, UNC has endured a bit of a rough stretch on the court.

The North Carolina men have only won two of its past five games, while the Tar Heel women just snapped a 4-game losing streak on Thursday, Feb. 15. This comes shortly after both programs held down the top spots in the ACC.

Good news – barring a major collapse, both programs should make the NCAA Tournament.

As we’re approximately a month away from March Madness, bracketology projections are popping up left and right. For those programs who aren’t sitting pretty near the top of their conferences, they’ll have to fight their way through.

If the season were to end today, the UNC men (19-6, 11-3) would hold the ACC tournament’s top seed.

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The Tar Heel women (16-9, 8-5), on the other hand, would be seeded seventh with a first-round bye.

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The North Carolina women could climb back into first place, but they’d have to win out while six teams in front of them – essentially – lose out. The UNC men have just a half-game lead over archrival Duke, but can clinch their first regular-season title since 2019 if they win out.

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Tar Heel women snap 4-game skid behind Alyssa Ustby’s big night

There was a huge sigh of relief and celebratory cheer inside Carmichael Arena tonight, as the UNC women’s basketball team finally won again.

After beating Miami on Thursday, Jan. 25 to move into a tie for first place in the ACC, the UNC women’s basketball team was easily playing its best basketball of the season.

No one could’ve foreseen what came next, as the Tar Heels lost consecutive games to Virginia, NC State, Virginia Tech and Duke to fall out of the rankings and all the way down to seventh place in the ACC.

That cold stretch came to a joyous end on Thursday night, as UNC beat Pitt, 75-62, behind star forward Alyssa Ustby’s 14-point, 10-assist double-double.

The win, which was North Carolina’s (16-9, 8-5) first in February, moved it into a tie for fifth place with Notre Dame and Duke. Before they lost four in a row, the Tar Heels beat UVA, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Miami for a 4-game winning streak.

Alyssa Ustby continued to be a dominating force on the court for UNC, recording her 12th double-double of the year and third in UNC’s past four games. She also added seven rebounds, three steals and blocks apiece – not too shabby.

Graduate transfer Lexi Donarski led all scorers with 20 points, her highest output since New Years’ Eve against Clemson (23). Star guard Deja Kelly dropped 17 points, with nine of those coming from free throws.

The Tar Heels have an extremely winnable game on Sunday, as they travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. to face the ACC-worst Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake (4-21, 0-13) hasn’t won since Dec. 21 last year, while a win could move UNC into a tie for fourth with Florida State.

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Tar Heels surprise Sydney Barker with life-changing news

Freshman Sydney Barker has only played in five games for the UNC women’s basketball team, but her recent news might help her play more.

It’s been an up-and-down year for the UNC women’s basketball team.

After beating Miami in late January to grab first place in the ACC, the Tar Heels have lost three straight games – a 15-point blowout at Virginia, a tough, 4-point loss at NC State and an overtime loss against Virginia Tech last Sunday at home.

One Tar Heel hoopster, however, just received a major confidence boost that hopefully reverberates throughout the entire program.

Sydney Barker, a two-time Conference Player of the Year at Durham, N.C.’s Jordan High School, was surprised with a scholarship.

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Barker has played in just five games this year for North Carolina, making one of her four shot attempts while grabbing two rebounds, but her high school career points to the fact she can ball.

Barker led Jordan to state playoff appearances all four years, including a run to the third round of the NCHSAA’s 4A playoffs her freshman season. She averaged 17.9 points per game, including a career-best 27.8 last year.

Maybe Barker can help UNC end its slide today, as the Tar Heels play at archrival Duke for a 2 p.m. ET tip-off. A victory would move North Carolina into sixth place in the crowded ACC.

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Alyssa Ustby on National Award Watch List

Alyssa Ustby has been a key cog for the UNC women’s basketball team this year, nearly averaging a double-double. She may win an award, too.

After a tough exit against Ohio State, in the Round of 32 during the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the UNC women’s basketball team is setting its sights even higher.

So far in ACC play, the Tar Heels look like a significantly-improved team.

Behind a heavy veteran presence, UNC (14-5, 6-1) is tied atop the ACC with Syracuse. North Carolina beat the Orange head-to-head, so technically, North Carolina is the current leader.

Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart utilized the offseason transfer portal extremely effectively, snatching a pair of starters in Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski. Indya Nivar, whose minutes make her UNC’s unofficial “sixth woman,” is a key piece of depth who flirts with starting playing time.

While star guard Deja Kelly leads North Carolina in scoring, it’s hear teammate who’s on a National watch list.

Alyssa Ustby, the senior forward from Minnesota who nearly averages a double-double (12.6 points, 9.5 rebounds per game), was named to the Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 list.

The Cheryl Miller Award goes to the top small forward in all of women’s college basketball.

Ustby finds herself in the Top 10 for the second-consecutive season, plus on the entire watch list for a third-straight year. She is joined in the ACC by Lousiville’s Kiki Jefferson.

If Ustby is indeed named a finalist, she’ll be notified in March. If Ustby wins, she’ll be notified upon conclusion of the 2023-2024 campaign.

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ACC-leading Tar Heels climb three spots in Women’s AP Poll

The UNC women’s basketball team is atop the ACC, with a few ranked wins already under their belts. Where are they in the newest AP Poll?

Either NC State, Louisville or Virginia Tech – all consistently top programs in women’s college basketball – is atop the ACC, right?

Nope.

There’s an amazing, experienced and talented team in Chapel Hill leading the stacked ACC. That team would be none other than – if you hadn’t guessed already – UNC.

Deja Kelly is enjoying her hottest streak of the season, scoring 20 points in four consecutive games. The Tar Heels have taken down ranked teams in Notre Dame, Louisville and Syracuse already, while coming close against others like South Carolina and Florida State.

With how well UNC is playing, it’s no surprise to see them climb the rankings a bit.

The Tar Heels jumped three spots to 20th in Monday’s AP Poll, sandwiched between the Hokies and Creighton.

It’s not just Kelly doing all the work in Chapel Hill. She’s being aided by not only fellow senior captain Alyssa Ustby, who’s nearly averaging a double-double (12.6 points, 9.5 rebounds per game), but a trio of experienced transfers in starting center Maria Gakdeng, starting guard Lexi Donarski and sixth woman Indya Nivar.

Carolina has Miami (FL) coming to town on Thursday for an 8 p.m. tip-off. If the Tar Heels and Notre Dame (playing Syracuse) both win Thursday, the Tar Heels move into sole possession of first place in the ACC.

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UNC WBB upsets Louisville, takes over first place in ACC

The UNC women’s basketball team took over first place in the ACC on Sunday, upsetting 13th-ranked Louisville in Chapel Hill.

We’re not remotely close to March Madness and there’s already upsets galore.

Number one teams have gone down, we’re starting to see possible Big Dance Cinderellas and the unthinkable’s happened – Pitt over Duke?

One of Sunday’s biggest upsets came in the ACC – from the UNC women’s basketball team.

The Tar Heels broke a 39-all tie in the third quarter, outscoring 13th-ranked Louisville by 11, to win 79-68 and take over first place in the ACC. Carolina is tied at 6-1 with Syracuse in conference play, but owns the tiebreaker due to its Jan. 4 victory.

UNC faced a 2-point deficit early in the third quarter, then never trailed again after an 11-0 run. Deja Kelly put the Heels on her back in the third, scoring 11 of her 23 points, for her third-consecutive game with 20 points.

Lexi Donarski (13), Alyssa Ustby and Indya Nivar (10 each) all joined Kelly in double-digits, while every Tar Heel but Anya Poole and Teonni Key made four shots.

Carolina played in front of a packed Carmichael Arena, with over 6,000 fans in attendance. Expect Carmichael to be packed even more for future games, as the Tar Heels are now in first place.

UNC gets University of Miami (FL) next, with the Hurricanes coming to Chapel Hill for an 8 p.m. tip-off on Thursday. Miami (12-5, 2-4 ACC) beat NC State by 14 on Thursday.

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