By R.L. Bynum
The memory of last season’s game in the Jumpman Invitational still stings for the returning Carolina women’s basketball team players.
UNC came into the game ranked No. 9, but No. 19 Michigan led by 23 points in the second quarter and rolled to a win more convincing than the 76–68 final score indicated.
That motivates No. 24 Carolina (7–4) in the second Jumpman Invitational at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN2) at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center when the Tar Heels take on Oklahoma (6–3).
Sophomore guard Paulina Paris says that UNC has to win that game, considering how the Michigan game went a year ago.
“It left us with really a bitter feeling going into our break because it was the last game before Christmas,” Paris said. “I just remember, we took a break from the coaches, obviously, but our team group chat — it was blowing up because we were so upset about it.
“That was probably the worst game we played last year,” she said. “We have to redeem ourselves, and we need to go into that game with the mentality that we have to win the game.”
As Paris said that during the postgame press conference after the Tar Heels’ 96–36 victory Friday over Western Carolina, Coach Courtney Banghart chimed in, agreeing that it was her team’s worst performance last season.
Michigan, which came into the game 10–1, scored a program-record 35 points in the first quarter, and Carolina never recovered.
Paris returned for the Western Carolina game after missing the previous two, scoring 16 points and two 3-pointers with four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Redshirt sophomore forward Teonni Key made her season debut with a career-high 10 rebounds after recovering from a foot injury.
Still out of that game and day-to-day are redshirt sophomore guard Kayla McPherson (knee) and freshman guard Reniya Kelly, who suffered a concussion in the first half of the loss to UConn. Kelly didn’t play in the second half of the UConn game, after a strong second quarter, or against Western Carolina.
Unlike last season, UNC won’t be facing a ranked team, and the Sooners may have to shake off some rust. Oklahoma has lost three of its last four games, and hasn’t played since a 92–76 home loss to UNLV on Dec. 9.
The Sooners were ranked No. 25 on Nov. 13 and No. 22 on Nov. 20 before losing to Princeton 77–63 and Tennessee 76–73 in the Fort Myers Tip-Off the following week.
Oklahoma was picked to finish fifth out of 14 teams in the preseason Big 12 poll after going 26–7 last season and losing 83–73 to UCLA in the second round of its second consecutive NCAA tournament.
The Sooners lost their “big three” of redshirt seniors on that team in Madi Williams (leading scorer at 15.7 points per game), Ana Llanusa (11.8) and Taylor Robertson (11.3). Before the season, Oklahoma lost redshirt senior Liz Scott (8.6), who started all 33 games last season, to a season-ending injury.
Oklahoma added former Oklahoma State player Lexy Keys (9.8 points, 3.8 assists), a 5–7 senior guard, in the offseason, and 5–10 freshman Sahara Williams (11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists) is off to a strong start.
UNC’s Lexi Donarski scored 20 points and three 3-pointers for Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament semifinals when the Cyclones beat the Sooners 82–72 before beating Texas one day later 61–51 for the championship. Donarski averaged 18.3 points in three games against Oklahoma last season.
The only Sooner on the 11-player Preseason All-Big 12 team is 6–0 senior forward Skylar Vann, who leads the team in scoring (14.4 points per game) and rebounding (7.0). Two other Sooners are averaging double-figure points: 5–9 senior guard Aubrey Joens (12.2) and 6–1 junior guard Payton Verhulst (11.3).
An Oklahoma reserve in her third season with the program is fifth-year 5–10 guard Kennady Tucker, who played the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons at UNC. In 37 games at Carolina, Tucker scored 58 points, with her best games being two seven-point nights in her freshman season: against Western Carolina on Nov. 7, 2019, and Pittsburgh on Dec. 30, 2019.
Tucker, who scored a career-high 12 points for Oklahoma against Wichita State on Dec. 29, 2021, has come off the bench in all nine games this season, combining for 14 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and six steals.
NOTES — UNC and Oklahoma have split four earlier meetings, with Carolina winning at Norman, Okla., 80–79 in the last meeting on Nov. 23, 2008, in the WNIT behind Jessica Breland’s 31 points. Oklahoma beat UNC in Honolulu in 2001 and 2002. … Oklahoma beat Florida 95–79 in last season’s Jumpman Invitational … UNC will be the Sooners’ fifth opponent that’s either ranked or receiving AP poll votes. … It’s the Tar Heels’ final non-conference regular-season game before opening ACC play at noon on New Year’s Eve at Carmichael Arena against Clemson (The CW). The Tigers (6–5, 1–0 ACC) will play two games before that, meeting Air Force at home at 1 p.m. Tuesday, and East Tennessee State at 2 p.m. Friday. … Carolina’s game will follow the 7 p.m. matchup between unranked teams Florida (7–3) and Michigan (6–5). … On Wednesday night, Florida and Michigan’s women play at 6:30, and UNC’s No. 11-ranked men (7–3) take on No. 7 Oklahoma (10–0) at 9 p.m. … While face value for lower-level seats for Tuesday night’s doubleheader is $89.70 and upper-level seats aren’t for sale, upper-level seats for Wednesday’s doubleheader are $113.95, with lower-level seats going for $172.60. For Wednesday’s games, there are curtains at the bottom of the upper arena.
UNC season statistics
Oklahoma season statistics
UNC-Oklahoma statistical comparison
| Category | UNC | Oklahoma |
| Scoring average | 70.8 (122) | 84.9 (14) |
| Field-goal percentage | .419 (140) | .452 (60) |
| 3-point FG percentage | .271 (273) | .333 (107) |
| Free throw percentage | .657 (270) | .724 (125) |
| Rebounding average | 39.4 (110) | 47.7 (8) |
| Assist average | 13.5 (155) | 21.8 (5) |
| Turnover average | 11.6 (10) | 20.0 (318) |
| Steals per game | 11.6 (10) | 20.0 (318) |
| Scoring defense | 55.6 (51) | 71.0 (291) |
| FG% defense | .377 (106) | .372 (90) |
| 3FG% defense | .323 (244) | .244 (30) |
| 3-pointers per game | 5.0 (247) | 9.1 (20) |
| Scoring margin | +15.2 (57) | +13.9 (67) |
| Rebounding margin | +5.5 (83) | +7.8 (47) |
| Assist/turnover ratio | 1.16 (46) | 1.09 (57) |
| NET ranking | 46 | 62 |
| Date | Day/month | Score | Opponent/event (current rank) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | ||||
| 8 | Wednesday | W, 102–49 | vs. Gardner-Webb | 1–0 |
| 12 | Sunday | W, 74–70 | vs. Davidson | 2–0 |
| 15 | Wednesday | W, 62–32 | vs. Hampton | 3–0 |
| 18 | Saturday | W, 68–39 | vs. Elon | 4–0 |
| Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. | ||||
| 24 | Friday | W, 54–51 | Vermont | 5–0 |
| 25 | Saturday | L, 63–56 | No. 15 Kansas State | 5–1 |
| 26 | Sunday | L, 65–64 | Florida Gulf Coast | 5–2 |
| ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge | ||||
| 30 | Thursday | L, 65–58 | vs. No. 1 South Carolina | 5–3 |
| December | ||||
| 6 | Wednesday | W, 81–66 | vs. UNC Greensboro | 6–3 |
| Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Conn. | ||||
| 10 | Sunday | L, 76–64 | No. 10 Connecticut | 6–4 |
| ——————— | ||||
| 15 | Friday | W, 96–36 | vs. Western Carolina | 7–4 |
| Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte | ||||
| 19 | Tuesday | W, 61–52 | No. 18 Oklahoma | 8–4 |
| ACC season | ||||
| 31 | Sunday | W, 82–76 | vs. Clemson | 9–4, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 4 | Thursday | W, 75–51 | vs. No. 22 Syracuse | 10–4, 2–0 ACC |
| 7 | Sunday | W, 61–57 | at No. 9 Notre Dame | 11–4, 3–0 ACC |
| 11 | Thursday | L, 70–62 | at Florida State | 11–5, 3–1 ACC |
| 14 | Sunday | W, 81–68 | vs. Virginia | 12–5, 4–1 ACC |
| 18 | Thursday | W, 73–68 | at Georgia Tech | 13–5, 5–1 ACC |
| 21 | Sunday | W, 79–68 | vs. No. 23 Louisville | 14–5, 6–1 ACC |
| 25 | Thursday | W, 66–61 | vs. Miami | 15–5, 7–1 ACC |
| 28 | Sunday | L, 81–66 | at Virginia | 15–6, 7–2 ACC |
| February | ||||
| 1 | Thursday | L, 63–59 | at No. 11 N.C. State | 15–7, 7–3 ACC |
| 4 | Sunday | L, 70–61, OT | vs. No. 13 Virginia Tech | 15–8, 7–4 ACC |
| 11 | Sunday | L, 68–60, OT | at Duke | 15–9, 7–5 ACC |
| 15 | Thursday | W, 75–62 | vs. Pittsburgh | 16–9, 8–5 ACC |
| 18 | Sunday | W, 58–50 | at Wake Forest | 17–9, 9–5 ACC |
| 22 | Thursday | W, 80–70 | vs. No. 11 N.C. State | 18–9, 10–5 ACC |
| 25 | Sunday | L, 74–62 | at No. 13 Virginia Tech | 18–10, 10–6 ACC |
| 29 | Thursday | L, 78–74 | at Boston College | 18–11, 10–7 ACC |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | W, 63–59 | vs. Duke | 19–11, 11–7 ACC |
| ACC tournament Greensboro Coliseum | ||||
| 7 | Thursday | L, 60–59 | Second round: vs. Miami | 19–12 |
| NCAA tournament Columbia, S.C. | ||||
| 22 | Friday | W, 59–56 | First round: Michigan State | 20–12 |
| 24 | Sunday | L, 88–41 | Second round: No. 1 South Carolina | 20–13 |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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