Tag: UNC Women’s Basketball

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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UNC stays hot, downs ACC power Notre on road in crucial WBB matchup

The UNC women’s basketball team continued its winning ways on Sunday, upsetting ACC power Notre by four points on Sunday afternoon.

The UNC women’s basketball team is playing its best ball as it heads into the thick of ACC play.

The ACC is loaded, with N.C. State (3), Virginia Tech (13), Louisville (17), Florida State (22) and Notre Dame (16) all ranked in the AP Poll.

UNC was ranked earlier this year, but has a great case to climb back in after its latest result.

Carolina traveled to Notre Dame, which sports one of college basketball’s premier women’s hoops programs, to shock many with a 61-57 victory on Sunday, Jan. 7.

UNC (11-4, 3-0 ACC) helped its case for an upset early on, when it outscored the fighting Irish by eight in the opening quarter. Carolina scored the game’s first basket 17 seconds in, when center Maria Gakdeng converted on a layup, then didn’t give up the lead again until the third quarter.

With UNC down 46-45 after three quarters, Indya Nivar banked in a layup just 1:30 into the final frame. The Tar Heels never trailed again and limited Notre Dame to just 11 fourth-quarter points, its lowest in a quarter this game.

Carolina overcame a poor shooting night, as Nivar and Gakdeng were the only two Tar Heels to shoot over 50 percent. Nivar led UNC with 16 points.

The Tar Heels, now tied atop the ACC with Virginia Tech, stay on the road for a ranked matchup at Florida State. Carolina and the Seminoles (12-4, 3-1) will play Thursday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m.

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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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Alyssa Ustby’s doule-double earns her National POTW honors

Alyssa Ustby is arguably the best post player on UNC’s women’s basketball team. Her double-double on New Years’ Eve gained her big honors.

Alyssa Ustby played a major role in the UNC women’s basketball team’s success last year, with it nearly upsetting Ohio State in the Round of 32.

Ustby was the featured post player on Carolina, grabbing a team high 8.3 rebounds per game, while also being one of three Tar Heels (Deja Kelly, Kennedy Todd-Williams) to average double-digit scoring.

Ustby continues to be a featured post player this season, but she now teams up with Boston College transfer Maria Gakdeng to form a formidable duo. Ustby’s best game of the year came in UNC’s 82-76, New Years’ Eve victory over Clemson, as she recorded a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double.

That stat-line was good enough for Ustby to be recognized with a prestigious honor – Player of the Week.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1p-EPUsDh3/?img_index=1

Ustby leads UNC with 8.9 rebounds per game (fifth in ACC), plus she’s second with 12.9 points per game – right behind fellow senior captain Deja Kelly. With a strong junior year also under her belt, Ustby has a solid chance to be selected high in the 2024 WNBA Draft (currently projected 17th to Washington Mystic.

Whether Ustby is scoring in the post, putting up a jump shot, pulling down a rebound, dishing out an assist or swatting away a shot, she finds numerous ways to contribute towards Carolina’s in-game success.

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How to watch Thursday’s UNC-Syracuse women’s basketball game

Here’s how you can watch Thursday’s matchup between the UNC women’s basketball program and Syracuse.

The UNC women’s basketball program will host Syracuse on Thursday night, as they look to pick up their second consecutive conference win.

UNC kicked off ACC play with an 82-76 win over the Clemson Tigers. Despite posting a 1-0 record last week, UNC slid out of the AP top 25 surprisingly. The team that replaced them in the rankings is Syracuse, making this game even more crucial for a team win.

The Tar Heels schedule gets challenging playing No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 22 FSU, and No. 17 Louisville in the upcoming weeks. There’s no denying that the ACC will be a dogfight in conference play, with many programs in the conference having championship-worthy rosters.

If UNC wants their respect in the loaded conference it starts with a win against Syracuse. UNC will have the coke court advantage, where they have a favorable 7-1 record in Carmichael Arena.

Let’s take a look at how to watch Thursday’s game.

UNC-SYRACUSE , RADIO, AND STREAMING INFORMATION

WHAT: North Carolina (9-4, 1-0ACC) vs. Syracuse (11-11, 1-0)

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 4 at 6:00 p.m. ET

LOCATION: Carmichael Arena, Chapel Hill, NC.

TV: ESPN (Watch and stream the game live on ESPN)

SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM (81 or 193)

WEBSITE:  WatchESPN

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UNC women’s basketball falls out of AP Top 25

The UNC women’s basketball program surprisingly falls out of the AP Top 25 despite a win over Clemson.

The UNC women’s basketball program fell out of this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, despite their 82-76 win over Clemson.

In a surprise move, UNC goes from No.24 to being outside looking in as Syracuse moves into the top 25. The Tar Heels are 9-4 this season and had quite the schedule already with three games against top 25 schools under their belt.

Despite no longer being ranked, UNC has plenty of opportunity to regain its place in the top 25 with games against No. 25 Syracuse, No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 22 FSU, and No. 17 Louisville in the upcoming weeks. All winnable games, with Syracuse and Louisville, scheduled to be played at Carmichael Arena, where UNC has a favorable 7-1 record.

The Tar Heels this season have shown the ability to keep up with some of the best teams in the nation. They have the depth to pull off a magical run in March, but placement will be a key contributor to how far they can go.

January will be brutal, but knocking off some of these ACC schools early will be a huge momentum boost for later.

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How to watch Sunday’s UNC-Clemson women’s basketball game

Here’s how you can watch Sunday’s matchup between the UNC women’s basketball program and Clemson.

The UNC women’s basketball program will play its final game of the 2023 calendar year, taking on Clemson to open their conference play.

The Tar Heels will host the Tigers on Sunday, with a tip-off scheduled for noon. Clemson is the ideal matchup for UNC to kick off their conference play, with the most challenging part of the schedule coming in the next few weeks. Clemson enters this game with a conference win, so a win would also look good for the AP rankings.

UNC has faired well against Clemson, leading the all-time series between the two, 62-28. Their most recent game, saw the Tar Heels win, capitalizing on their defense with 18 points stemming from turnovers.

The game will air exclusively on CW, as a part of the ACC on CW collaboration.

Let’s take a look at how to watch Sunday’s game.

UNC-Clemson, RADIO, AND STREAMING INFORMATION

WHAT: North Carolina (8-4, 0-0ACC) vs. Clemson (8-5, 1-0)

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 31 at 12:00 p.m. ET

LOCATION: Carmichael Arena, Chapel Hill, NC.

TV: CW

SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM (81 or 193)

WEBSITE: CW

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Deja Kelly becomes 25th Tar Heel to reach 1,500 points, helps UNC take down Oklahoma

Not only did the UNC women’s basketball team beat Oklahoma on Tuesday night, but star guard Deja Kelly reached a historic scoring mark.

For the first time in nearly a month, the UNC women’s basketball team is enjoying a winning streak.

Carolina started the year 5-0, then lost three in a row. The Tar Heels beat UNC-Greensboro to open December, lost to UConn, then obliterated Western Carolina on Friday, Dec. 15.

UNC picked up its second-consecutive win on Tuesday, Dec. 19, topping Oklahoma 61-52 in the Jumpman Invitational.

While the victory was a sweet early Christmas present, it was a basketball landmark for one Tar Heel.

Deja Kelly, one of the best guard in women’s college basketball, became the 25th player in program history to reach 1,500 points.

How Kelly reached 1,500 in Tuesday’s game, though, came via one of her season-best outputs. The senior scored a game-high 21 points on 7-of-14 field goal shooting, plus a 7-of-12 mark from the free throw line.

According to the Daily Tar Heel, Kelly also played the game with an illness. Sounds familiar…remember Michael Jordan’s flu game?

Kelly received a lot of praise from her teammates and head coach Courtney Banghart, who noted she wanted to suit up regardless.

“Deja is a dog,” senior forward Alyssa Ustby told the Daily Tar Heel. “That girl will do anything for her teammates, and she knows how much she brings to our team and so being sick, and she was pretty sick, and so for her to come out here and to play so selflessly and to even get to the basket and just hold her own was remarkable.”

We have yet to see anything on MJ himself complementing Kelly, but we’ll be on a close lookout for it.

What will Kelly and her teammates do for an encore on New Year’s Eve against Clemson?

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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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