By R.L. Bynum
UNCG (2–3) at No. 14 North Carolina (4–1)
When: 6 p.m. Sunday
TV: ACC Network: Beth Mowins play-by-play, Debbie Antonelli analyst
Radio: WCHL 97.9 FM/1360 AM (streams on the Varsity Network app): Matt Krause play-by-play
Massey Ratings: UNCG No. 251, UNC No. 19
Bart Torvik: UNCG No. 236, UNC No. 13
Warren Nolan NET rankings: UNCG No. 143, UNC No. 20
Series: UNC leads 14–0 (see list below)
Coaches: Trina Patterson (323–429 in 27 seasons; 148–133 in 10 seasons at UNCG) and Courtney Banghart (383–168 in 19 seasons; 129–65 in 7 seasons at UNC)
Scouting the Spartans
Projected starters:
— No. 22 | Makiah Asidanya (top photo) | 5–7 junior guard | 14.8 points, 36.7 FG%, 38.9 3P%, 72.7 FT%, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 steals (6 assists, 14 turnovers)
— Preseason All-Southern Conference First Team pick
— Scored a career-high 22 points in loss at Auburn
— Third in the Southern Conference in scoring
— No. 7 | Jeni Levine | 5–7 graduate guard | USC Upstate transfer | 12.4 points, 26.8 FG%, 21.9 3P%, 85.0 FT%, 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists (8 assists, 13 turnovers)
— No. 15 | Rylan Moffitt | 6–0 senior forward | Appalachian State transfer | 7.2 points, 44.1 FG%, 20.0 3P%, 62.5 FT%, 6.4 rebounds, 0.6 of a block, 1.5 steals (4 assists, 7 turnovers)
— No. 4 | Jaila Lee | 5–10 senior guard | UNC Asheville transfer | 6.3 points, 27.3 FG%, 18.8 3P%, 57.1 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal, (11 assists, 5 turnovers)
— Preseason All-Southern Conference Second Team pick
— No. 2 | Tasia Johnson | 5–7 senior guard | 2.6 points, 13.3 FG%, 21.1 3P%, 50 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steal (9 assists, 3 turnovers)
UNCG results:
— 87–42 Nov. 3 loss at Stanford
— 64–40 loss at San Francisco
— 64–57 loss at Auburn
— 57–53 win at Presbyterian
— 54–52 win vs. Gardner-Webb
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Statistical comparison
| UNCG | Statistic | UNC |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Points per game | 77.6 |
| 30.9% | FG% | 43.3% |
| 26.8% | 3P% | 29.7% |
| 70.8% | FT% | 65.3% |
| 28.4 | Rebounds per game | 39.6 |
| 8.8 | Assist per game | 15.8 |
| 1.2 | Blocks per game | 3.8 |
| 7.4 | Steals per game | 11.2 |
| 64 | Scoring defense | 55 |
| 44.5% | FG% defense | 38.5% |
| 36.1% | 3P% defense | 26.8% |
| -9.8 | Rebounding margin | +8.4 |
| 0.6 | Assist-to-turnover ratio | 1.1 |
Notes
— UNCG coach Trina Patterson was the Southern Conference Coach of the Year last season after the Spartans won the Southern Conference title to earn the program’s first NCAA tournament berth since 1998. UNCG lost in the first round to Southern Cal 71–25.
— UNCG is picked second in the eight-team Southern Conference.
— The Spartans are playing in Carmichael Arena for the third consecutive season, losing last season 80–56.
— UNCG hasn’t beaten an ACC school since a 67–65 win at Wake Forest in 2019.
— Carolina senior guard Indya Nivar is on the longest double-figure scoring streak of her career, going five-for-five this season, and is third in the ACC with a team-high 3.4 assists per game. She collected season-highs of 14 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday’s win at N.C. A&T and leads the team in scoring at 12.2 per game.
— At least five Tar Heels have scored in double figures in three of five games and eight have scored in double figures in at least one game.
— UNC is averaging only 13.8 turnovers per game but forcing 22.2, which is third in the ACC. The Heels are aveaging 24 points off turnovers and 16.6 fast-break points per game.
— This is UNC’s final tuneup before playing next week in Mexico at the Cancun Challenge, with games Thursday against South Dakota State, Friday against Kansas State and Saturday against Columbia in the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. All three made the NCAA tournament last season.
Series: UNC 14, UNCG 0
Feb. 11, 1975, at UNCG — W, 71–57
Feb. 17, 1976, at Chapel Hill — W, 66–45
Jan. 20, 1977, at UNCG — W, 95–75
Feb. 1, 1977, at Chapel Hill — W, 74–45
Feb. 14, 1978, at UNCG — W, 76–69
Feb. 25, 1978, at Chapel Hill— W, 92–68
Jan. 22, 1979, at UNCG — W, 99–40
Feb. 15, 1979, at Chapel Hill— W, 99–57
Nov. 30, 2006, at Chapel Hill — W, 103–48
Nov. 16, 2011, at Chapel Hill — W, 91–35
Dec. 14, 2019, at Chapel Hill — W, 83–62
Nov. 28, 2020, at Chapel Hill — W, 96–35
Dec. 6, 2023, at Chapel Hill — W, 81–66
Dec. 11, 2024, at Chapel Hill — W, 80–56
UNC statistics
UNCG statistics
| Team | League | Overall | NET* | WAB* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 13 Duke | 16–2 | 21–8 | 10 | 13 |
| No. 12 Louisville | 15–3 | 25–6 | 13 | 10 |
| No. 16 North Carolina | 14–4 | 25–6 | 19 | 14 |
| N.C. State | 13–5 | 20–9 | 23 | 27 |
| Syracuse | 12–6 | 22–7 | 40 | 31 |
| Virginia Tech | 12–6 | 22–8 | 41 | 34 |
| Notre Dame | 12–6 | 20–9 | 24 | 23 |
| Clemson | 11–7 | 20–10 | 44 | 40 |
| Virginia | 11–7 | 19–10 | 36 | 49 |
| California | 9–9 | 18–13 | 53 | 60 |
| Stanford | 8–10 | 19–12 | 42 | 56 |
| Miami | 8–10 | 16–13 | 58 | 65 |
| Georgia Tech | 7–10 | 12–17 | 76 | 109 |
| Florida State | 5–13 | 10–20 | 107 | 138 |
| Wake Forest | 4–14 | 14–16 | 121 | 134 |
| SMU | 2–16 | 9–21 | 220 | 209 |
| Pittsburgh | 1–17 | 8–23 | 262 | 238 |
| Boston College | 1–17 | 5–26 | 247 | 283 |
* — Through Sunday games
Thursday’s results
No. 16 North Carolina 82, Virginia 70
No. 12 Louisville 69, Georgia Tech 50
Notre Dame 72, Syracuse 62
Miami 79, Pittsburgh 58
N.C. State 65, Wake Forest 58
No. 13 Duke 80, Florida State 52
Stanford 87, SMU 57
Clemson 70, California 63
Sunday’s results
No. 16 North Carolina 74, No. 13 Duke 69
Virginia Tech 83, Virginia 82
Georgia Tech 79, Miami 49
N.C. State 93, Pittsburgh 43
Stanford 85, Clemson 50
Syracuse 90, Boston College 65
Notre Dame 65, No. 12 Louisville 62
Florida State 77, Wake Forest 74, OT
California 78, SMU 34
End of regular season
ACC tournament
Gas South Arena
Duluth, Ga.
March 4–8
UNC schedule
| Date | Day/ month | Time | Opponent/event (rank in final poll) |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | |||
| 18 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. Davidson (exhibition) |
| November | |||
| 2 | Monday | TBA | Oui-Play in Paris vs. No 12 Oklahoma |
| 8 | Sunday | 5:30 | Ally Tipoff in Charlotte vs. No. 2 South Carolina |
| 11 | Wednesday | TBA | vs. N.C. Central |
| 14 | Saturday | TBA | at Penn in Palestra |
| WBCA Showcase | Orlando | ||
| 19 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | vs. Texas Tech |
| 21 | Saturday | 5 p.m. | vs. No. 24 Alabama |
| ——— | |||
| 24 | Tuesday | TBA | vs. Gardner-Webb |
| 27 | Friday | TBA | vs. Army |
| 29 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Brown |
| December | |||
| 2 | Wednesday | 7:15, ESPN2 | ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge vs. No. 8 LSU |
| 6 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Elon |
| 9 | Wednesday | 11 a.m. | vs. Winthrop |
| 13 | Sunday | TBA | vs. N.C. State |
| 17 | Thursday | TBA | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 21 | Monday | TBA | vs. Norfolk State |
| 28 | Monday | TBA | vs. UNCW |
| 31 | Thursday | TBA | at Syracuse |
| January | |||
| 3 | Sunday | TBA | at Clemson |
| 7 | Thursday | TBA | vs. Wake Forest |
| 10 | Sunday | TBA | at No. 11 Louisville |
| 17 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Boston College |
| 21 | Thursday | TBA | at California |
| 24 | Sunday | TBA | at Stanford |
| 28 | Thursday | TBA | vs. No. 9 Notre Dame |
| 31 | Sunday | TBA | vs. No. 5 Duke |
| February | |||
| 4 | Thursday | TBA | at Miami |
| 7 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Virginia Tech |
| 14 | Sunday | TBA | at SMU |
| 18 | Thursday | TBA | at Pittsburgh |
| 21 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Florida State |
| 25 | Thursday | TBA | vs. No. 19 Virginia |
| 28 | Sunday | TBA | at No. 5 Duke |
| March | |||
| 3–7 | Wed.-Sun. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo via uncgspartans.com
