By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina’s record would be dramatically different if a few plays at the end of close losses had gone differently.
The Tar Heels repeatedly shot down any chance that Thursday’s game against No. 6 N.C. State would come down to one or two possessions like those defeats. UNC came through with its best perimeter shooting game of the season, never trailing after the opening quarter, on its way to an 80–70 win at Carmichael Arena, its fourth over a ranked team.
“I felt like they did a really good job with their foot on the gas,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart said of her team, which has shot 50.8%, and has shot better than 50% from the floor in three consecutive games. “We just put our foot on the gas and didn’t give them much breath, got some key stops.”
The difference was that State couldn’t focus on one or two players to stop because multiple players from UNC (18–9, 10–5 ACC) pressed the accelerator to run the Pack over as it moves ahead with limited guard depth for probably an extended period. Graduate Lexi Donarski (23 points, five 3-pointers) led the way after scoring only two points in Sunday’s win at Wake Forest but had plenty of help.
“I think it just really proves our toughness,” said Donarski, after the Heels lost overtime games to Virginia Tech and Duke. “Obviously, it feels good to get wins like these ones. But, no matter what night it is, we’re always going to come on and fight together.”
N.C. State (23–4, 11–4) made some mammoth runs during its 64–59 win in Raleigh on Feb. 1, but could never totally flip the momentum.
“Stacking stops is one of the biggest things we needed because they can go on runs really fast, and they’re really a fast team in transition,” Donarski. “So, finding a way to slow the ball and try to keep them out of the paint and transition was a big focus.”
Carolina’s zone defense held the Wolfpack 35.2% shooting, their worst in the last 10 games and third-worst this season.
Many Tar Heels had big games, including senior Alyssa Ustby (13 points, 11 rebounds for her 15th double-double of the season and 37th of her career), senior Ali Zelaya (career-highs of 12 points and four 3-pointers), Maria Gakdeng (12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks) and sophomore Indiya Nivar (11 points, two 3-pointers, four assists and three steals).
“For what this team has had to go through from an adversity standpoint, they’re starting to find their footing,” Banghart said. “Really proud of them, really happy that Carmichael showed out today.”
UNC avoided a repeated pattern this season of blowing leads, getting the defensive stops and buckets the Heels needed to keep the Wolfpack at arm’s length.
“Possession games can go either way,” Banghart said. “It’s good when you were able to take a run and stop it, and then make our own.”
How could the UNC team win against one of the top teams in the league after hitting only 3 of 8 from 3 and turning the ball over 24 times in Sunday’s win at Wake Forest? By flipping those statistics — the Heels were 11 of 21 from 3-point range and committed only seven turnovers. That was tied for the fewest turnovers by an N.C. State opponent this season (South Florida).
The 11 3-pointers tied a season-high (also against Clemson) and the 52.4% 3-point shooting was a season-high (easily topping the previous best of 45.5% against Davidson.) It was the best 3-point shooting against the Wolfpack this season, topping the 47.8% from Georgia Tech in State’s 86–84 overtime home win on Sunday,
“We locked in on Tuesday and were very clear with how we wanted to play, and I’m so proud of them they played exactly how we wanted to play on both ends,” Banghart said.
The Wolfpack held Deja Kelly to nine points, but the senior guard tied her career-high with eight assists and added seven rebounds and three steals. She played nearly 38½ turnover-free minutes.
“We knew that they were going to really shade to her, so we wanted her to get to the logos and find her teammates in windows,” Banghart said of Kelly, who scored in single digits for the fourth time this season, all victories.
Zelaya made a big 3-pointer four minutes into the second quarter after State had pulled within two, and the Wolfpack never came that close again.
“I met with her on Tuesday and just knew we were going to need her tonight,” Banghart said of Zelaya. “It’s a kid you can always count on. She stays ready, sometimes in a shadow but not for us.”
Tough defense from Zelaya and Gakdeng on River Baldwin was a big reason why the 6–5 graduate State center only had six points and was 2 of 9 from the floor with one rebound. It was the second straight strong game for Gakdeng.
Zelaya, who previously never scored more than 10 points or two 3-pointers in the game, said that it was almost like her teammates were threatening her if she didn’t shoot from outside the arc when she got open.
She obliged, making 4 of 7 shots from outside the arc.
“Just that mindset of my girls have my back, I feel like I could fly at that moment,” Zelaya said. “So, I let the ball fly, and it went in. The momentum of Carmichael, that’s the Carolina experience. To go out there and just feel the momentum shift, I feel like we all — each one through five — we all felt it, and we just kept on going.”
Nivar scored several timely buckets, and her nearly 30 strong minutes off the bench allowed Ustby to play more at the four spot.
“She was really good tonight,” Banghart said. “We talked about whoever’s in the game needs to give a positive contribution when they come off the bench. [The starters] need to be able to go out and get a rest, and she was huge. Took care of it, rebounded the ball well.”
Donarski was lethal from the perimeter against N.C. State.
“She’s doing a better job being more shot-ready. She’s realizing that her window is just really small,” Banghart said. “She’s starting to get her shot off quicker. We’ve added a few actions — if you’re gonna obsess on Lexi, someone else is going to be open.”
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Aziaha James (game-high 24 points, four 3-pointers and nine rebounds) and Saniya Rivers (13 points, three 3-pointers and five rebounds) gave State a seven-point lead with 5:46 left in the first quarter. A 3-pointer from Nivar and two from Zelaya, one at the shot-clock buzzer, cut UNC’s deficit to two with 2:15 left.
UNC, which led 22–20 after one quarter, took its first lead of the game during a 10–2 run capped by an Ustby transition bucket. The Heels led by five 1½ minutes into the second quarter.
Banghart pleaded for a flopping call against State with 5:24 left in the first half but that only resulted in a technical foul against her. Two Baldwin free throws cut UNC’s lead to three. With Baldwin on the bench, Gakdeng scored three straight inside buckets during a 10–2 run. The Heels went up by nine on a Nivar layup with 1:49 before taking a 42–35 halftime lead.
Nivar started the second half after scoring eight first-half points, and hit a 3-pointer during a 6–2 run that pushed the lead to 10 2½ minutes into the second half on an Ustby bucket. State pulled within three with a 7–0 run, but UNC pushed it to six on a Donarski 3 and an Ustby follow shot.
After a Rivers 3-pointer cut UNC’s deficit to three, UNC finished the third quarter with a 7–0 run. Kelly’s lunging, buzzer-beating bank shot gave the Heels a 61–51 lead heading into the final quarter.
Donarski’s fifth 3-pointer 2½ minutes into the fourth quarter gave UNC a 14-point lead. The lead was down to eight when UNC went on a 9–3 run with six points from Gakdeng, as a Donarski jumper pushed the lead to 14 with 1:03 left.
NOTES — The Heels go from one top-10 ACC opponent to another, playing at 2 p.m. Sunday against No. 8 Virginia Tech (ACC Network), which has won seven straight games since a 63–46 loss at Duke on Jan. 18. The league-leading Hokies (22–4, 13–2), who will come off a six-day break since winning Sunday 86–70 at No. 10 Louisville, beat UNC in Chapel Hill on Feb. 3 in overtime 70–61. … The victory gives UNC 10 ACC wins for the third year in a row and the 24th time in program history. … UNC will still need wins over Virginia Tech, BC and Duke to earn an ACC tournament double-bye. That would likely give the Heels a No. 3 seed. Going 1–2 probably means a No. 8 seed; going 2–1 likely gives the Heels a No. 7 seed. … Carolina is 14–3 when Kelly scores fewer than 20 points and 4–6 when she scores 20 or more. … UNC has won three straight games after losing the previous four. … Since UNC recognized women’s basketball as a varsity sport for the 1974–75 season, the Wolfpack leads the series 64–55, but UNC has a 31–20 edge in Carmichael. … This is the fifth time in the last six seasons that the teams have split the two regular-season games. … UNC is 16–24 against ranked teams under Banghart, with four wins over the Wolfpack. … This was the last season the rivals will play two regular-season games for the foreseeable future. When Stanford, Cal and SMU are added to the ACC next season, UNC will play Duke twice and every other team in the league once. … Out again Thursday with lower-body injuries and unlikely to return soon were sophomore guard Paulina Paris (ninth consecutive game) and freshman guard Reniya Kelly (third straight game). Kelly wasn’t in the bench area during the game. … UNC freshman Sydney Barker, who earned a scholarship earlier this month, played in her third ACC game, guiding the Heels’ offense in the last minute of the first half. … State’s Maddie Cox was going to go into the game in the second quarter but realized when she got onto the court that she forgot to put on her jersey top over her T-shirt. She entered the game minutes later after a manager went to the dressing room to get a jersey for her. … Free throws were still a problem for UNC, which made only 11 of 25 attempts against Wake Forest and 5 of 10 against the Wolfpack.
UNC 80, No. 6 N.C. State 70
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 | 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 |
Photos courtesy of UNC Athletics
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