Tag: UNC Women’s Basketball

Tar Heels bounced early in ACC Tournament after blowing lead

The UNC women’s basketball team fell to Miami in their ACC Tournament opener on Thursday.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ women’s basketball team had a short stay in the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

After holding a double-digit lead against Miami, North Carolina faltered in the second half as Miami completed the comeback for a 60-59 win to move on in the tournament. The Tar Heels got off to a hot start, holding a 20-13 lead after the first quarter.

The two teams battled in the second quarter, scoring 17 points a piece as UNC held a 37-30 lead. UNC shot 50 percent in the first half and it looked like they were going to cruise to a victory.

But in the second half, Miami turned it on.

As Miami mounted a comeback and eventually took the lead, UNC faltered as they had a five-and-a-half minute stretch without a basket in the fourth quarter. They also one just one of their final 12 attempts to end the game.

Despite that, UNC had numerous chances at the end to take the lead but couldn’t convert as Miami ended the game and took the win.

Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby both had 15 while Lexi Donarski added 12 in the losing effort. UNC now looks forward to the NCAA Tournament, one they hope they can make a run in.

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Alyssa Ustby among top 5 finalists for Cheryl Miller Award

UNC women’s basketball forward Alyssa Ustby has been named a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program will begin its ACC Tournament run on Thursday, facing off against Miami. As the Tar Heels get set for what we hope is a deep run this month, a few players have picked up some honors.

A day after Alyssa Utsby and Deja Kelly earned All-ACC honors, one of them picked up some national recognition.

On Wednesday, Utsby was named one of five finalists for the Cheryl Miller Award. She’s joined by LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon, Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson and Texas’ Madison Booker on the list.

After being in the top 10 for the award in each of the past two seasons, she’s finally been named a finalist. And rightfully so.

Ustby is averaging 12.4 points and 10 rebounds per game in ACC play, one of four players to average a double-double in the conference.  She’s shooting 47.7 percent from the field as well.

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UNC WBB captains bring home All-ACC Honors

Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby are the two greatest reasons UNC is a competitive team this season. They both earned recognition on Tuesday.

In a loaded ACC women’s basketball conference, the North Carolina Tar Heels sit right in the middle.

UNC (19-11, 11-7) is eighth heading into tomorrow’s ACC Tournament, which is rightfully so in Tournament Town (Greensboro, NC). North Carolina will matchup against ninth-ranked Miami (18-11, 8-10) at 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 7. The Tar Heels squeaked by the Hurricanes, 66-61, back on Thursday, Jan. 25 at home.

UNC is projected as a 6-seed in the latest NCAA Tournament Women’s Bracketology, with them slated for a matchup with potential 11-seed Auburn. North Carolina can possibly improve its seeding with a couple victories this week.

The Tar Heels wouldn’t be where they are today without their two best players, Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby. Kelly continues to lead UNC in scoring at 16.8 points per game, while Ustby nearly averages a double-double with 12.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Kelly and Ustby were recognized for their contributions earlier Tuesday, with Kelly earning All-ACC First Team Honors and Ustby joining the Second Team.

There’s a slim chance Kelly and Ustby could return next year, but both are likely to be selected in next month’s WNBA Draft. It would be a fitting end to their collegiate careers, with both being integral parts in building the program UNC is today.

Right now, the star-studded duo’s focus is on winning the ACC and – later – the NCAA 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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Carmichael Arena sells out for UNC vs Duke

Carmichael Arena sells out for UNC vs Duke, adding more anticipation to the high-stakes game.

The UNC women’s basketball program will play arch-rival Duke Blue Devils in front of a sold-out crowd, announced Tuesday.

Twelve days from today, UNC will end their regular season in a rivalry showdown against Duke, and it should be electric with Carmichael Arena sold out. The Tar Heels has had a season of highs and lows, taking on some of the best schools in the nation, while jumping in and out of the Associated Press’s Top 25 poll.

Currently UNC is not in the top 25 but can leap back in with their last stretch of the schedule featuring some notable names. The Tar Heel’s next two games are against No. 6 NC State and No. 8 Virginia Tech. If they can go 2-0 in those games, they can see a significant shift in their status.

Depending on how UNC finishes the year will help or hurt their efforts in bringing a national championship back to Chapel Hill. A good seeding could be what the doctor ordered to cruise into the ideal matchups.

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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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