By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina is shooting down the game plans for beating the Tar Heels that some teams leaned on last season.
You can no longer stop Carolina’s perimeter shooting by shutting down Lexi Donarski or sag off Alyssa Ustby on the perimeter so that you can pack the post players around center Maria Gakdeng.
Overmatched Coppin State helplessly discovered that on Sunday afternoon, when the No. 16 Tar Heels rained in nine of their season-high 12 3-pointers in the first half on their way to a 72–46 victory at Carmichael Arena to extend their win streak to six.
“I’ve been saying it all along [that] it’s a team that can shoot when they have great shots, and these guys generated really great shots,” said UNC coach Courtney Banghart, who got 3-pointers from seven players. “We can stretch the floor at multiple positions. Most of the time, we have four legitimate 3-point shooting threats in the game, and they’re really starting to figure out how to find each other. It’s fun to watch.”
Twelve players scored for Carolina (9–1), which continued its run of outstanding defensive games.
The Tar Heels blocked seven shots and held the second consecutive opponent to season-lows in field-goal percentage and points, with the Eagles (6–5) shooting 27.3%. It was the fourth time in five games (and fifth time this season) that an opponent has scored fewer than 50 points.
Donarski took advantage of getting more open shots with nine points on three 3-pointers. Ustby fired in a pair of 3-pointers as UNC scored double-digit 3-pointers for the fifth time this season after doing it only four times last season.
All the 3-point threats created more space inside for Gakdeng, who led a balanced UNC attack with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal.
“Having 3-point shooters really opens up the floor,” Gakdeng said. “Now that Lys is a 3-point shooter, we don’t have as much help off, and there’s not as much doubling. So I can get to my baskets really easily.”
The cascading positive effect of Ustby’s sudden perimeter threat shouldn’t be minimized, and Banghart said that it’s a product of hard work in the offseason.
Banghart said that the staff helped her recreate her shot to add that layer to her game and that Ustby didn’t take any offseason days off. The staff broke her shot down from the moment the ball sits in her hands.
“For every shot she’s made, she’s taken 10,000 other ones to prepare for this opportunity,” Banghart said. “She knew that Maria, we think, is one of the best post players in the game at any age, and so we wanted to give her more space.”
A big element of increasing the ball movement from last year and creating space was to recruit players who could do that. Carolina brought in several newcomers to the backcourt who are making that happen, including slick-moving Richmond transfer Grace Townsend.
“We knew that Grace would be able to find shooters and find her own finishes, which I thought she did a good job tonight doing,” Banghart said. “It helps our team a lot.”
Townsend, who has come off the bench since the third game of the season, collected six points, five rebounds and two assists in nearly 16 minutes and had an impressive twisting layup in traffic.
She said that the transition to UNC has been made easier by her being only one of several newcomers.
“The new players have really been able to jell together and communicate better, but also in terms of being able to know what I came here to do,” Townsend said, “find the gaps for other people, but also open lanes for myself. So definitely still growing, and I’m really enjoying the transition.”
The Tar Heels assisted on 18 of their 28 field goals as they continued to bolster their unyielding defense with good ball movement at the other end. There were numerous contributions from the bench, including eight points and two 3-pointers from redshirt freshman Ciera Toomey and five points and three rebounds from freshman Blanca Thomas.
“I think these guys are getting more comfortable offensively,” Banghart said. “I know we’ve proven we can defend, especially as we really lock into the opponent. … You have to be able to score in March to win, and I feel like we’re getting better offensively, game to game.”
Carolina came out shooting hot from the beginning, leading 23–13 after one quarter, led by a pair of 3-pointers from Reniya Kelly (8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists).
Carolina got 3-pointers from Laila Hull, Toomey and Donarski during an 11–0 run that ballooned the lead to 21 on a Kelly jumper with 3:59 left in the first half. A Gakdeng bucket with three seconds left gave UNC a 46–27 halftime lead with nine first-half 3-pointers.
UNC let off the gas in the third quarter when it made only 2 of 9 3-point attempts and Coppin State matched the Tar Heels’ 14 points. A late Tray Crisp bucket gave the Heels a 60–41 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Toomey hit UNC’s final 3-pointer with 23 seconds left to give the Heels their biggest lead of the game at 26.
NOTES — Carolina is back at Carmichael Arena for the third of five consecutive home games, facing UNCG (7–2) at 7 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN3/ACCNX). The Spartans, with a 195 NET ranking and 215 Massey ranking, have won five of their last six games after splitting a pair of games last week at the Puerto Rico Clasico, losing 62–53 to Texas-San Antonio and beating Le Moyne 83–51. … Coppin State was the third HBCU opponent for UNC after winning at N.C. A&T 66–47 on Nov. 12 and at home 119–43 Nov. 29 against N.C. Central. … UNC has won all five meetings with Coppin State, with all five in Chapel Hill.… Carolina has started 9–1 for the third time in four seasons. … The Eagles’ previous season lows in points and field-goal percentage came when they shot 32.7% in a 70–47 loss at Maryland. … UNC honored Gakdeng before the game, standing alongside her mom and Banghart, for eclipsing the 1,000-career-point mark. … Former walk-on Sydney Barker played for the first time since the season opener, firing in a late 3-pointer. … Ustby had five of UNC’s nine fouls when she fouled out in the fourth quarter. … Carolina was 4 of 8 from the free throw line, the fifth time this season it’s shot 60% or worse.
How did UNC’s defense tame the Wildcats?
How did Carolina hold No. 14 Kentucky to season-lows in points and field-goal percentage in the Tar Heels’ decisive win on Thursday. Read this analysis from Andrew Kurzeja of how Coach Courtney Banghart changed the ball-screen coverages to limit Georgia Amoore to 10 points.
No. 16 UNC 72, Coppin State 46
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 6 Louisville | 11–0 | 21–3 | 8 |
| No. 17 Duke | 11–0 | 16–6 | 14 |
| N.C. State | 8–2 | 15–6 | 28 |
| Syracuse | 8–3 | 18–4 | 40 |
| Virginia Tech | 8–3 | 18–5 | 42 |
| No. 25 North Carolina | 6–3 | 17–5 | 22 |
| Virginia | 7–4 | 15–7 | 37 |
| Clemson | 7–4 | 16–7 | 38 |
| Notre Dame | 6–5 | 14–8 | 31 |
| Georgia Tech | 5–6 | 10–13 | 91 |
| Stanford | 4–5 | 15–7 | 36 |
| California | 4–6 | 13–10 | 54 |
| Miami | 4–7 | 12–10 | 45 |
| Florida State | 2–8 | 7–15 | 109 |
| Wake Forest | 2–9 | 12–11 | 118 |
| SMU | 1–9 | 8–14 | 180 |
| Pittsburgh | 1–9 | 8–15 | 260 |
| Boston College | 0–11 | 4–20 | 250 |
* — Through Saturday games
Sunday’s results
No. 17 Duke 80, Wake Forest 44
No. 6 Louisville 71, California 59
Virginia Tech 76, Virginia 64
Syracuse 65, Miami 60
Georgia Tech 70, Boston College 60
Notre Dame 78, Stanford 66
Clemson 77, Florida State 58
Monday’s game
No. 25 North Carolina at N.C. State, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday’s games
Syracuse at Boston College, 6 p.m.
Stanford at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m., ACCN Extra
Clemson at No. 25 North Carolina, 6 p.m., ACC Network
No. 17 Duke at No. 6 Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Virginia Tech at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Miami at Virginia, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
California at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Wake Forest at SMU, 7:30, ACCN Extra
Florida State at N.C. State, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Sunday’s games
No. 6 Louisville at Syracuse, noon, ACCN Extra
N.C. State at Virginia Tech, noon, ACC Network
California at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. ACCN Extra
No. 25 North Carolina at Wake Forest, 2 p.m., ACC Network
SMU at No. 17 Duke, 2 p.m. The CW
Notre Dame at Virginia, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
Miami at Florida State, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
Stanford at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
Boston College at Clemson, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
| Date | Day/month | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 30 | Thursday | L, 91–82 | No. 3 South Carolina in Atlanta | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 90–42 | vs. N.C. Central | 1–0 |
| 6 | Thursday | W, 71–37 | vs. Elon | 2–0 |
| WBCA Challenge Las Vegas | ||||
| 13 | Thursday | L, 78–60 | vs. No. 2 UCLA | 2–1 |
| 15 | Saturday | W, 82–68 | vs. Fairfield | 3–1 |
| ——————————— | ||||
| 20 | Thursday | W, 85–50 | at N.C. A&T | 4–1 |
| 23 | Sunday | W, 94–48 | vs. UNCG | 5–1 |
| Cancun Challenge Cancun, Mexico | ||||
| 27 | Thursday | W, 83–48 | vs. South Dakota St. | 6–1 |
| 28 | Friday | W, 85–73 | vs. Kansas State | 7–1 |
| 29 | Saturday | W, 80–63 | vs. Columbia | 8–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge | |||
| 4 | Thursday | W, 79–64 | at No. 4 Texas | 8–2 |
| ——————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 82–40 | vs. Boston Univ. | 9–2 |
| 14 | Sunday | L, 76–66, OT | vs. No. 78 Louisville | 9–3, 0–1 ACC |
| 17 | Wednesday | W, 84–34 | vs. UNCW | 10–3 |
| 21 | Sunday | W, 93–74 | vs. Charleston Southern | 11–3 |
| 29 | Monday | W, 90–38 | at Boston College | 12–3, 1–1 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 1 | Thursday | W, 71–55 | vs. California | 13–3, 2–1 |
| 4 | Sunday | L, 77–71, OT | vs. Stanford | 13–4, 2–2 |
| 11 | Sunday | L, 73–50 | at Notre Dame | 13–5, 2–3 |
| 15 | Thursday | W, 73–62 | vs. Miami | 14–5, 3–3 |
| 18 | Sunday | W, 82–55 | at Florida State | 15–5, 4–3 |
| 22 | Thursday | W, 54–46 | at Georgia Tech | 16–5, 5–3 |
| 25 | Sunday | W, 77–71, OT | vs. Syracuse | 17–5, 6–3 |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | 6 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN2 |
| 5 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | vs. Clemson | ACCN |
| 8 | Sunday | 2 p.m. | vs. Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 12 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | vs. SMU | ACCN |
| 15 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | at No. 20 Duke | ABC |
| 19 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | at Virginia Tech | ACCN |
| 22 | Sunday | Noon | vs. Pittsburgh | ACCN |
| 26 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | at Virginia | ACCN Extra |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Sunday | Noon | vs. No. 20 Duke | ESPN |
| ACC tournament | ||||
| 4–8 | Wed.-Sun | Gas South Arena, Duluth, Ga. | ||
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| 20–24 | Fri.-Mon. | First, second rounds | ||
| 27–30 | Fri.-Mon. | Regionals Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, Calif. | ||
| April | ||||
| 3, 5 | Fri., Sun | Final Four Phoenix |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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