UNC women’s basketball program punches ticket to Sweet 16

The UNC women’s basketball program punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 with a win over Arizona on Monday night.

The University of North Carolina basketball programs are feeling a little extra sweet this week.

Just a few days after the men’s program beat Baylor to earn a spot in the Sweet 16, the women’s program did the same. UNC’s 63-45 win on the road at No. 4 Arizona helped Courtney Banghart and her team reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 2015 season. It’s the 18th trip to the Sweet 16 for the Tar Heels as their impressive season continues on.

From the start, the Tar Heels looked like the better team jumping out to a 14-9 lead after one. They built on that lead and took a 28-17 at halftime over the Wildcats.

After a few runs by Arizona that cut the lead down just a tad, UNC was able to have a firm grip on the lead. And in the fourth quarter, they pulled away to earn the win.

Kennedy Todd-Williams led the way with 19 points while Deja Kelly added 15 and Alyssa Ustby added 12 points and had 12 rebounds. The Tar Heels shot 41.2 percent from the field and assisted on 15 of their 21 made field goals.

It was an all-around impressive game for Banghart’s team but the test gets tougher. UNC will take on No. 1 South Carolina in the Sweet 16.