By Bob Sutton

CHAPEL HILL — Lexi Donarski’s addition to the North Carolina roster before last season came with the plug that she would provide a perimeter-scoring threat.

Evidence of that was clear Thursday night when she connected on five 3-point shots to supply some of the highlights in the No. 15 Tar Heels’ 77–50 victory against UNC Wilmington at Carmichael Arena.

“We trust this team shooting it from 3,” Donarski said. “We’ve shot it really well in practice and I feel that will just continue to get better the more that we’re able to play together and just play in front of a crowd, get some more games under our belt.”

Donarski’s 21 points and Reniya Kelly’s 14 points, which included three 3s, led the offense.

Donarski’s bursts of scoring were part of North Carolina’s 10-for-30 shooting from long range.

“We can make more than that,” Coach Courtney Banghart said.

The Tar Heels (2–0) improved to 30–2 in non-conference home games in Banghart’s six seasons.

The second game of this season came with better 3-point shooting than three days earlier.

“It feels good to have a couple more go in compared to our first game,” Donarski said. “I hope that we can keep trending in that direction.”

Donarski, a transfer from Iowa State, also produced on drives and demonstrated a knack for creating her shots.

“We know Lexi can shoot it,” Banghart said. “I like that she was able to go off the dribble a little bit more.”

For Donarski, more variety on offense has been an emphasis. She said she was too content last year to stay on the perimeter and wait for a shot.

“Just be more confident with the ball in my hand,” she said.

There has been progress in that area since Donarski joined the Tar Heels.

“When your fifth-year kid is still getting better, that’s a good thing,” Banghart said. “She’s more than just a shooter. But we needed her today to knock down shots.”

As for her favorite spots to launch 3s, that depends on certain factors.

“Wherever I’m not guarded is the best spot,” Donarski said. “I would say transition 3s are the most fun.”

Ciera Toomey’s nine points and Maria Gakdeng’s eight points gave the Tar Heels a touch of balanced scoring. Freshman Blanca Thomas hauled in 10 rebounds, and Toomey had eight boards.

Taylor Henderson had 15 points for UNCW (0–2). The Seahawks committed 25 turnovers and shot 29.8% from the field.

For the Tar Heels, Banghart said 36 of 40 first-half possessions fell in the category of good shots or open shots. Only about half of the second-half possessions were deemed positive, she said.

“I thought we played to the score a little bit in the second half and kind of lost the sharpness we need to play with,” Banghart said.

The Tar Heels led 40–16 at halftime, aided by six 3-pointers after topping out at half-dozen 3s in Monday’s romp past Charleston Southern. The Seahawks shot 20 percent and committed 14 turnovers in the first half.

“We’re still working on discipline, but I’ll take activity [on defense] every day,” Banghart said.

The Tar Heels scored 13 straight points to go up 14–2 despite 3-for-8 shooting on free throws by that juncture.

“We do have to get better,” Kelly said. “We have better competition coming.”

A puzzling stat was the Tar Heels’ 13-for-27 free-throw shooting by game’s end.

“I don’t know what to say,” Banhart said. “They’re free throws. They are free.”

The coach said lots of free throws are attempted in practice. She said it’s a matter of confidence and mindset.

“Leaving 14 points on the free-throw line is going to be really hard to beat a Top 10 team,” she said.

Remember her?

Upon being introduced in the UNCW starting lineup, 2024 North Carolina graduate Ali Zelaya was greeted by Banghart with flowers at midcourt.

Zelaya scored four points on 1-for-5 shooting from the field in 18 minutes.

Something new to view

The Tar Heels will visit Greensboro twice next week: on Tuesday, they will face North Carolina A&T, and on Nov. 15, they will face Connecticut at First Horizon Coliseum (formerly Greensboro Coliseum).

“Next week will be two new experiences for us,” Banghart said.

Banghart figures it will be a progression of “firsts.” There was the first night game Thursday, the first away game, and then the first televised game.

“It’s just a lot of firsts with this group,” she said. “It’s why you do it. You find out in each one where you’re at and what you need to work on. This group has responded.”

NOTES – The Tar Heels improved to 6–0 all-time against UNCW. … Cherie Lea, a player for the Tar Heels before transferring to UNCW, is in her second season the associate head coach for the Seahawks. She’s a 2004 UNCW graduate, and she was inducted into the UNCW Hall of Fame in 2023. … The Tar Heels’ matchup with N.C. A&T will mark their second in a row against a Coastal Athletic Association member. UNCW was voted 11th out of 14 teams in the preseason CAA poll, while N.C. A&T is the conference favorite. … Longtime ACC official Eric Brewton, who worked in last month’s WNBA Finals, was on Thursday night’s officiating crew.

Bob Sutton is a veteran ACC sports writer who is the former North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year and was the sports editor of the Burlington Times-News for 25 years.

No. 15 UNC 77, UNCW 50

UNC schedule and scores

Date	Day/month	Time/ score	Opponent/event (current rank)	TV/ record
	November
4	Monday	W, 83–53	vs. Charleston Southern	1–0
7	Thursday	W, 77–50	vs. UNCW	2–0
12	Tuesday	7 p.m.	at N.C. A&T	ESPN3
15	Friday	6 p.m.	vs. No. 2 UConn in Greensboro	ESPN2
			Battle 4 Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
23	Saturday	4 p.m.	Ball State	FloHoops
24	Sunday	1:30 or 6:30	Texas A&M or Villanova	FloHoops
25	Monday	Noon, 2:30, 5 p.m. or 7:30	No. 12 Baylor, No. 25 Indiana, Columbia or S. Miss	ESPN2, ESPNU or FloHoops
			———————————
29	Friday	TBA	vs. N.C. Central	ESPN3
	December
			ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge
5	Thursday	5 p.m.	vs. No. 22 Kentucky	ESPN2
			———————————
8	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Coppin State	ESPN3
11	Wednesday	7 p.m.	vs. UNCG	ESPN3
15	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Georgia Tech	ACCN
			Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte
18	Wednesday	6:30	vs. Florida	ESPNU
			———————————
21	Saturday	Noon	vs. Norfolk State	ESPN3
			ACC season
29	Sunday	4 p.m.	at Miami	ACCN
	January
5	Sunday	1 p.m.	vs. No. 6 Notre Dame	ESPN
9	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. No. 11 Duke	TBA
12	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Boston College	ACCN
16	Thursday	8 p.m. ET	at SMU	ESPN3
19	Sunday	2 p.m.	at Pitt	ACCN
23	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. Wake Forest	ESPN3
26	Sunday	Noon	vs. No. 19 Florida State	ACCN
30	Thursday	TBA	at Cal	ESPN3
	February
2	Sunday	3 p.m. ET	at Stanford	The CW
9	Sunday	2 p.m.	at Clemson	ESPN3
13	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. Virginia Tech	ESPN3
16	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. No. 9 N.C. State	ESPN
20	Thursday	6 p.m.	at Syracuse	ACCN
23	Sunday	2 p.m.	at No. 17 Louisville	ESPN
27	Thursday	7 p.m.	at No. 11 Duke	ESPN
	March
2	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Virginia	The CW
5–9	Wed.–Sun.		ACC tournament Greensboro Coliseum