Tag: North Carolina Tar Heels Women’s Basketball

Deja Kelly goes off, leads Tar Heels to tough road win at Georgia Tech

If UNC women’s basketball star Deja Kelly has the ball, opponents are going to have a tough time. She scored 27 points in a Thursday win.

Have a day, Deja Kelly.

The UNC women’s basketball team’s star point guard has been showing out in her final collegiate season, consistently leading her team in scoring and dropping 20 points on the regular. Along with fellow senior captain Alyssa Ustby, plus a trio of off-season transfers in Lexi Donarski, Maria Gakdeng and Indya Nivar, Kelly is helping make the Tar Heels a legitimate ACC threat.

Kelly’s most recent 20-point outing came earlier on Thursday, Jan. 28, as she dropped 27 to lead Carolina in a 73-68 road victory over Georgia Tech. Her most impactful points came from the charity stripe, making six free throws in the final 23 seconds.

With the win, Kelly’s second-consecutive game with 27 points, the 23rd-ranked Tar Heels (13-5, 5-1) jumped Florida State for third place in the ACC.

Though UNC only won by five, it maintained a lead at the end of each quarter. Carolina held a 17-11 advantage after the opening quarter, 2-point lead at halftime and 8-point advantage heading into the final frame.

Alyssa Ustby continued her strong stretch of play, adding 15 points for the Tar Heels. Sophomore guard Teonni Key enjoyed her best game of the year, adding on a season-high 10 points.

UNC will be playing for first place in the ACC on Sunday, as Louisville comes to Carmichael Arena for a 2 p.m. tip-off. The Cardinals (16-2, 5-0) are winners of their past six matchups.

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UNC drops three spots in latest AP Women’s Poll

After splitting games against Florida State and UVA last week, the UNC women’s basketball team dropped slightly in the latest AP Poll.

After having its second 5-game win streak of the campaign snapped by Florida State last week, the UNC women’s basketball team responded with a dominant home victory over UVA on Sunday.

Carolina celebrated its 1994 National Championship team, which including former longtime head coach Sylvia Hatchell. The Tar Heels then put on a show for just over 4,500 fans, blowing out the visiting Cavaliers by 13 points.

Even with its recent hot streak, UNC finds itself clinging on to a low ranking in the latest AP Poll. Carolina dropped three spots to 23rd, a spot behind Marquette and just ahead of Iowa State.

The Tar Heels could find themselves climbing this poll with strong results in their upcoming games. They travel to 12-5 Georgia Tech for a 6 p.m. ET tip Thursday, then host #13 Louisville next Sunday at 2 p.m.

Being ranked in the AP Poll is always something teams like to see, but it’s not a requirement to make the NCAA Tournament, particularly if you’re in a Power 5 conference like UNC. Carolina ended last year ranked 20th in the AP Poll – will they be higher at the conclusion of the current season?

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Champions line Carmichael Arena for UNC’s Alumni Day victory

Sunday’s UNC women’s hoops game honored the 1994 NCAA Championship-winning team. The current Tar Heels dominated UVA in a 13-point victory.

Sunday was exactly the type of game UNC’s women’s basketball team needed.

After losing on the road to Florida State last week, Carolina came back home to Carmichael Arena for a special game – Alumni Day.

In front of an announced crowd of 4,579, the Tar Heels dominated UVA from the opening tip for an 81-68, UNC victory.

Carolina star captains Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby were the on-court highlights, combining for 44 points on 16 game field goals and eight free throws, but the main highlights were on UNC’s guests: members of the 1994 NCAA Championship Team.

There were over 90 Tar Heel women’s hoops members in attendance, including longtime Championship-winning head coach Sylvia Hatchell, Jennifer Alley and current head coach Courtney Banghart. A halftime ceremony honored all present, with the 1994 title team introduced between the third and fourth quarters.

Heading back to the game, UNC never trailed against a Cavaliers squad that lost its fifth consecutive matchup. The Tar Heels’ most dominating quarters came in the opening and closing ones, with a 19-12 advantage after the first and 28-16 after the final frame.

“Hats off to a really good Virginia team,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart told GoHeels.com. “Those guys have had a really tough conference schedule so far, they’ve already played NC State twice, they’ve played us, they’ve played Duke, and Georgia Tech. And Camryn Taylor – hats off. She’s a hard kid to guard.”

The Tar Heels look to start another winning streak this Thursday, as they travel to Georgia Tech for a 6 p.m. tip-off. The Yellow Jackets (12-5, 3-2) are coming off an 84-46 loss at Duke.

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Two future Tar Heels nominated for All-American game

The All-American Game is the most prestigious, high school All-Star basketball game. A pair of future Tar Heel hoopsters may play in it.

Ever since the UNC women’s basketball team played UConn before Christmas, winning has been easy to come by in Chapel Hill.

Before Thursday night’s loss at Florida State, another ranked ACC program, Carolina had won five straight. The Tar Heels took down Western Carolina, Oklahoma, Clemson, plus ranked Notre Dame and Syracuse on the road.

UNC is led by star senior duo Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby, but also reinforced by a trio of transfers in Maria Gakdeng, Lexi Donarski and Indya Nivar. Kelly, Ustby, Donarski and Gakdeng all average double-digits, while Nivar just reached the 10-point mark for the second-consecutive outing.

Kelly and Ustby are graduating this Spring, while Donarski’s eligibility runs out.

What Carolina loses in these three, it gains in a pair of studs next

5-star Bianca Thomas and 4-star Jordan Zubich, UNC’s two committed recruits in the Class of 2024 cycle, were recently announced as McDonalds All-American Game nominees.

The McDonalds All-American Game, if you aren’t familiar with it, is arguably the greatest All-Star high school basketball contest.

Thomas, a star center for the Charlotte (NC) Catholic Cougars, is averaging a double-double in her senior season. Charlotte Catholic is atop the 4A Southwestern conference now with a 12-2 (5-0) record, winning its first ten games.

Zubich, a high-scoring guard for the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers, is averaging 26.2 points per game over her past three varsity seasons. She’s sporting a career-best 26.6 PPG this season, with her team holding a 13-2 (2-0) record barely into conference play.

The future is bright in Chapel Hill for the UNC women’s basketball program.

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UNC Women’s Basketball at Florida State: Game preview, info, prediction and more

The UNC and Florida State women’s basketball team play each other, on Thursday night, in a battle of two top teams in the ACC. Who wins?

If you’re a college basketball fan, turn your televisions to the ACC Network on Thursday night.

At 6 p.m. ET, the UNC (20) and Florida State (21) women’s basketball teams will be playing each other in a Top-25 matchup. This game pits two of the ACC’s best teams against each other, with the victor owning a tie-breaker that will prove crucial come conference tournament time.

The Tar Heels (11-4, 3-0) are winners of their past five games, starting with a 60-point drubbing of Charleston Southern and also including a pair of ranked wins – Syracuse (at the time) and Notre Dame. UNC has one of the country’s most-talented senior duos in Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby, plus a couple of key transfers in Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski.

The Seminoles (13-4, 4-1), hoping to make their 11th-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, are coming off a 78-72 win at Clemson on Sunday afternoon. While FSU nearly upset N.C. State in Raleigh last Thursday, the highlight of its season was a 1-point win over Tennessee in early November. The Seminoles are led by 20-point scorer Ta’Niya Latson.

If Carolina wins Thursday night, it’ll either take sole possession of first place in the ACC or stay tied with Virginia Tech. If the ‘Noles win, they could take over first place.

UNC WBB named ESPN’s Team of the Week

With wins over Notre Dame and Syracuse, which are part of a 5-game winning streak, the UNC women’s basketball team is being recognized.

Strong performances in the sports world – and the unexpected – will typically earn teams and players recognition.

We’ve seen a lot of great storylines this year across all sports – Tommy DeVito’s run as starting quarterback for the New York Giants, the Texas Rangers going from Wild Card Team to World Series Champs, the University of Texas volleyball team repeating as NCAA Champions, plus many more.

One of the great college hoops storylines is the UNC women’s basketball team. Not only are the Tar Heels ranked 20th in the latest AP Poll and on a five-game winning streak, but two of those victories have come against ranked teams (Syracuse, Notre Dame).

This recent hot spurt, which started with a 60-point victory against Western Carolina on Dec. 15 last year, has landed UNC honors for ESPN’s Team of the Week.

Carolina’s first ranked victory in this stretch came against Syracuse on Thursday, Jan. 4 in Chapel Hill, with the women in sky blue dominating then-number 25 Syracuse by 24 points. On Sunday, Jan. 7, UNC took down 2-time National Champion Notre Dame on the road.

What makes UNC’s honor even more impressive is the fact it lost guard Kayla McPherson, a key rotation player who started the Kansas State, FGCU and and South Carolina games, for the season.

How long can the Tar Heels stay hot for?

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Tar Heels back in Women’s Hoops AP Poll for Week 10

Thanks to one of the biggest upsets in women’s college hoops over the weekend, UNC jumped back into the latest AP Poll. Where did it land?

In one of the ACC’s greatest upsets this year so far, the UNC women’s basketball team took down a ranked Notre Dame squad, 61-57, on Sunday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.

Carolina (11-4, 3-0) led for most of the first half, but fell behind entering the fourth quarter. The Tar Heel defense then locked down in the fourth quarter, limiting the Fighting Irish (10-3, 1-2) to just 11 points. UNC withstood double-digit scoring performances from Sonia Citron (18), Hannah Hidalgo (17) and KK Bransford (12).

Indya Nivar (16) and Lexi Donarski (13), both offseason transfers, were the only two Tar Heels to score in double-figures. Nivar and Maria Gakdeng, the Boston College transfer, were the only two Tar Heels to shoot over 50 percent.

With its fifth-consecutive win, UNC returned to the AP Poll at 20, just a spot ahead of Florida State.

Carolina’s loss to UConn seemed to spur its hot streak, as the women in baby blue have taken down Western Carolina, Oklahoma, Clemson, Syracuse and now Notre Dame. The victory over WCU saw a 60-point spread, while UNC beat Syracuse by 24 points.

The Tar Heels get another tough test on Thursday, Jan. 11, as they travel to Tallahassee and play 21st-ranked Florida State. Carolina will try for just its third win in 10 tries against the Seminoles (8-1, 3-1).

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Alyssa Utsby makes UNC Women’s basketball history

UNC Women’s Basketball got a big performance from Alyssa Ustby as she made history in the win over Syracuse on Thursday.

Alyssa Ustby is having a big week. And on Thursday, she put her name into the North Carolina Tar Heels’ women’s basketball history books.

Ustby finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists to record the first triple-double in program history as the Tar Heel beat No. 25 Syracuse in Carmichael Arena. The performance comes after she earned some national honors for her play last week.

Not only did she make UNC history but she also became the first player in women’s college basketball history to record 15+ points, 15+ rebounds and 10+ assists against a ranked opponent. WOW!

The Tar Heels really needed a big win on Thursday night, hosting a ranked ACC opponent and Utsby helped deliver the double-digit win.

This is not only something she can build on but the program as well as they go full steam into ACC play.

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Gakdeng’s double-double not enough as Tar Heels fall to UConn

The UNC women’s basketball team had a chance to make a statement Sunday afternoon, but lost 76-64 against UConn. What exactly went wrong?

Good teams beat opponents they should beat.

UNC’s women’s basketball program has done exactly that this year, winning games against Gardner-Webb, Davidson, Hampton, Elon, Vermont and UNCG.

The Tar Heels have also struggled against stronger teams, losing all three of their games against ranked opponents (fourth to unranked FGCU). Their latest lost to a ranked team came on Sunday, Dec. 10, losing 76-64 to UConn in the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase.

Carolina was super close with the 11-time National Champions, tied at 36 apiece during the halftime break. A 29-13 third quarter in the Huskies’ advantage, however, was the ultimate difference-maker.

Individual accomplishments in games, especially firsts, are always caused for celebration. They don’t feel as good in a loss, but still are means for celebration.

One of UNC’s individual accomplishments to be celebrated came from 6’3″ forward/center Maria Gakdeng, the Boston College transfer who recorded a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double for her first as a Tar Heel. Gakdeng was also the only Tar Heel who shot over 50 percent from the field, going 6-of-9.

Every UNC started scored in double-figures, led by 14 from Gakdeng. Iowa State transfer Lexi Donarski notched 12, star guard Deja Kelly netted 11, while Alyssa Ustby and Indya Nivar each recorded 10.

Carolina should grab an easy win in its next game, hosting the 2-8 Western Carolina Catamounts on Friday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. ET.

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Cold first quarter dooms Tar Heels in Gulf Coast Showcase vs. KSU

In the Gulf Coast Showcase, UNC’s women’s basketball team watched a first quarter doom it against a strong, tall Kansas State opponent.

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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