UNC’s Paulina Paris is ACC Rookie of the Week

By R.L. Bynum

After putting up season-high numbers of 22 points, six 3-pointers and five steals in her first college start, Sunday’s 69–58 victory at Clemson, North Carolina freshman Paulina Paris is the ACC Rookie of the Week.

The Congers, N.Y., freshman averaged 13.5 points and shot 42.9% in No. 11 Carolina’s two road wins, collecting five points, five rebounds and three assists in Thursday’s 72–57 win against Pittsburgh.

“That kid is so solid; she’s so consistent and she just lets the game come to her,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart said Monday on her radio show. “I just really trust Paulina with the ball in her hands with the decisions that she makes and, most importantly, she trusts herself. She really believes in herself. “

Paris is only the second player for UNC to earn a weekly ACC honor this season after junior guard Deja Kelly was named the ACC Player of the Week on Nov. 28.

This is only the third time this season that a player other than Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson has earned the Rookie of the Week honor. Boston College’s Taina Mair won it on Jan. 9 and Georgia Tech’s Tonie Morgan earned the honor on Jan. 23.

Sunday’s game was Paris’ fifth scoring in double figures after she scores 13 vs. Jackson State, 15 against USC Upstate, 15 against Virginia Tech and 16 against Notre Dame. Before going 6 of 12 from 3-point range against the Tigers, her best perimeter game was 3 of 5 against USC Upstate and 3 of 4 against the Irish.

Her best steal totals before Sunday were three against Jackson State and four against South Carolina State.


ACC standings

TeamLeagueOverall
No. 11 Virginia Tech14–423–6
No. 10 N.C. State13–525–5
No. 20 Syracuse13–523–6
No. 14 Notre Dame13–523–6
No. 24 Louisville12–623–8
Florida State12–621–9
Duke11–719–10
North Carolina11–719–11
Miami8–1018–11
Georgia Tech7–1116–14
Virginia7–1115–14
Boston College5–1313–18
Clemson5–1312–18
Pittsburgh2–168–23
Wake Forest2–166–24

Sunday’s games
North Carolina 63, Duke 59
Boston College 84, Pittsburgh 58
No. 10 N.C. State 75, Wake Forest 57
No. 14 Notre Dame 74, No. 24 Louisville 58
Georgia Tech 71, Miami 66, OT
Florida State 82, Clemson 79
Virginia 80, No. 11 Virginia Tech 75
ACC tournament
Greensboro Coliseum
Wednesday-Sunday


DateMonth/dayTime/scoreOpponent/event
(current ranking)
LocationRecord
November
9WednesdayW, 91–59Jackson StateHome1–0
12SaturdayW, 75–48TCUHome2–0
16WednesdayW, 93–25South Carolina StateHome3–0
20SundayW, 76–65James MadisonHarrisonburg, Va.4–0
Phil Knight Invitational
24ThursdayW, 85–79OregonPortland5–0
27SundayW, 73–64No. 17 Iowa State Portland6–0
DecemberACC/Big Ten Challenge
1ThursdayL, 87–63No. 2 IndianaBloomington, Ind.6–1
7WednesdayW, 64–42UNCWHome7–1
11SundayW, 99–67WoffordHome8–1
16FridayW, 89–47USC UpstateHome9–1
Jumpman Invitational
20TuesdayL, 76–68No. 18 MichiganCharlotte9–2
ACC season begins
29ThursdayL, 78–71Florida StateHome9–3, 0–1 ACC
January
1SundayL, 68–65No. 4
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Va.9–4, 0–2 ACC
5ThursdayL, 62–58MiamiCoral Gables, Fla.9–5, 0–3 ACC
8SundayW, 60–50No. 10
Notre Dame
Home10–5,
1–3 ACC
12ThursdayW, 70–59VirginiaCharlottesville, Va.11–5,
2–3 ACC
15SundayW, 56–47N.C. StateHome12–5,
3–3 ACC
19ThursdayW, 61–56No. 13 DukeHome13–5,
4–3 ACC
22SundayW, 70–57Georgia TechHome14–5,
5–3 ACC
26ThursdayW, 72–57PittsburghPittsburgh15–5,
6–3 ACC
29SundayW, 69–58ClemsonClemson16–5,
7–3 ACC
February
2ThursdayW, 73–62VirginiaHome17–5,
8–3 ACC
5SundayL, 62–55LouisvilleLouisville17–6,
8–4 ACC
9ThursdayL, 75–67SyracuseSyracuse17–7,
8–5 ACC
12SundayW, 73–55Boston CollegeHome18–7,
9–5 ACC
16ThursdayL, 77–66, OTN.C. StateRaleigh18–8,
9–6 ACC
19SundayW, 71–58Wake ForestHome19–8,
10–6 ACC
23ThursdayL, 61–59No. 4
Virginia Tech
Home19–9,
10–7 ACC
26SundayW, 45–41No. 13 DukeDurham20–9,
10–8 ACC
MarchACC Tournament
2ThursdayW, 68–58Clemson Greensboro21–9
3FridayL, 44–40No. 13 Duke Greensboro21–10
NCAA tournament
18SaturdayW, 61–59 St. John’sColumbus, Ohio22–10
20MondayL, 71–69No. 12 Ohio State Columbus, Ohio22–11

Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications

Leave a comment