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
Team | League | Overall |
---|---|---|
No. 11 Virginia Tech | 14–4 | 23–6 |
No. 10 N.C. State | 13–5 | 25–5 |
No. 20 Syracuse | 13–5 | 23–6 |
No. 14 Notre Dame | 13–5 | 23–6 |
No. 24 Louisville | 12–6 | 23–8 |
Florida State | 12–6 | 21–9 |
Duke | 11–7 | 19–10 |
North Carolina | 11–7 | 19–11 |
Miami | 8–10 | 18–11 |
Georgia Tech | 7–11 | 16–14 |
Virginia | 7–11 | 15–14 |
Boston College | 5–13 | 13–18 |
Clemson | 5–13 | 12–18 |
Pittsburgh | 2–16 | 8–23 |
Wake Forest | 2–16 | 6–24 |
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
Date | Month/day | Time/score | Opponent/event (current ranking) | Location | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
November | |||||
9 | Wednesday | W, 91–59 | Jackson State | Home | 1–0 |
12 | Saturday | W, 75–48 | TCU | Home | 2–0 |
16 | Wednesday | W, 93–25 | South Carolina State | Home | 3–0 |
20 | Sunday | W, 76–65 | James Madison | Harrisonburg, Va. | 4–0 |
Phil Knight Invitational | |||||
24 | Thursday | W, 85–79 | Oregon | Portland | 5–0 |
27 | Sunday | W, 73–64 | No. 17 Iowa State | Portland | 6–0 |
December | ACC/Big Ten Challenge | ||||
1 | Thursday | L, 87–63 | No. 2 Indiana | Bloomington, Ind. | 6–1 |
7 | Wednesday | W, 64–42 | UNCW | Home | 7–1 |
11 | Sunday | W, 99–67 | Wofford | Home | 8–1 |
16 | Friday | W, 89–47 | USC Upstate | Home | 9–1 |
Jumpman Invitational | |||||
20 | Tuesday | L, 76–68 | No. 18 Michigan | Charlotte | 9–2 |
ACC season begins | |||||
29 | Thursday | L, 78–71 | Florida State | Home | 9–3, 0–1 ACC |
January | |||||
1 | Sunday | L, 68–65 | No. 4 Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, Va. | 9–4, 0–2 ACC |
5 | Thursday | L, 62–58 | Miami | Coral Gables, Fla. | 9–5, 0–3 ACC |
8 | Sunday | W, 60–50 | No. 10 Notre Dame | Home | 10–5, 1–3 ACC |
12 | Thursday | W, 70–59 | Virginia | Charlottesville, Va. | 11–5, 2–3 ACC |
15 | Sunday | W, 56–47 | N.C. State | Home | 12–5, 3–3 ACC |
19 | Thursday | W, 61–56 | No. 13 Duke | Home | 13–5, 4–3 ACC |
22 | Sunday | W, 70–57 | Georgia Tech | Home | 14–5, 5–3 ACC |
26 | Thursday | W, 72–57 | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | 15–5, 6–3 ACC |
29 | Sunday | W, 69–58 | Clemson | Clemson | 16–5, 7–3 ACC |
February | |||||
2 | Thursday | W, 73–62 | Virginia | Home | 17–5, 8–3 ACC |
5 | Sunday | L, 62–55 | Louisville | Louisville | 17–6, 8–4 ACC |
9 | Thursday | L, 75–67 | Syracuse | Syracuse | 17–7, 8–5 ACC |
12 | Sunday | W, 73–55 | Boston College | Home | 18–7, 9–5 ACC |
16 | Thursday | L, 77–66, OT | N.C. State | Raleigh | 18–8, 9–6 ACC |
19 | Sunday | W, 71–58 | Wake Forest | Home | 19–8, 10–6 ACC |
23 | Thursday | L, 61–59 | No. 4 Virginia Tech | Home | 19–9, 10–7 ACC |
26 | Sunday | W, 45–41 | No. 13 Duke | Durham | 20–9, 10–8 ACC |
March | ACC Tournament | ||||
2 | Thursday | W, 68–58 | Clemson | Greensboro | 21–9 |
3 | Friday | L, 44–40 | No. 13 Duke | Greensboro | 21–10 |
NCAA tournament | |||||
18 | Saturday | W, 61–59 | St. John’s | Columbus, Ohio | 22–10 |
20 | Monday | L, 71–69 | No. 12 Ohio State | Columbus, Ohio | 22–11 |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications