By R.L. Bynum
No. 11 North Carolina (8–1) at No. 2 Texas (8–0)
When: 7 p.m. ET Thursday
Where: Moody Center in Austin, Texas
What: ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge
TV: ESPN2
Radio: WCHL AM1360, FM 97.9 (Also streaming on the Varsity Network app); Matt Krause play-by-play
Line: Texas 16½
Over/under: 141½
Moneylines: UNC +1,000; Texas -2,100
UNC projected starters: Elina Aarnisalo, Reniya Kelly, Indya Nivar, Nyla Harris and Ciera Toomey
Series: UNC won the only meeting, 75–71 on Jan. 11, 1981
Texas results
Oct. 23: 102–44 exhibition win vs. Lubbock Christian
Oct. 27: 108–54 exhibition win vs. Texas Woman’s University
Nov. 3: 123–51 win vs. Incarnate Word
Nov. 7: 85–56 win vs. Richmond
Nov. 10: 100–38 win vs. Louisiana
Nov. 16: 111–45 win vs. Texas Southern
Nov. 19: 95–56 win vs. James Madison
Nov. 26: 76–65 win vs. No. 4 UCLA in Players Era Championship in Las Vegas
Nov. 27: 66–64 win vs. No. 3 South Carolina in Players Era Championship in Las Vegas
Sunday: 81–63 win vs. Penn
Banghart’s blueprint has UNC exceeding expectations ahead of big challenge at No. 2 Texas
Projected Texas starters
No. 35 | F | Madison Booker (top photo) | 6–1 | junior
— 16.8 points, 49.0 FG%, 30.8 3P%, 85.0 FT%, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.6 steals, 0.5 of a block
— The Preseason SEC Player of the Year and an AP Preseason All-American, she earned a gold medal for the U.S. in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.
No. 7 | G | Lee Jordan | 6–0 | sophomore
— 14.6 points, 44.0 FG%, 35.0 3P%, 93.8 FT%, 2.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.2 steals
— Earned a gold medal for U.S. in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.
No. 23 | G | Aaliyah Crump | 6–1 | freshman
— 13.2 points, 47.3 FG%, 30.0 3P%, 72.7 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals
— Ranked fifth in the Class of 2025, she has scored in double figures in all four games
No. 3 | G | Rori Harmon | 5–6 | senior
— 9.9 points, 55.9 FG%, 75.0 3P%, 71.4 FT%, 3.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.8 steals
— In the South Carolina game, broke the 40-year old program assists record, now with 781.
— Only player in program history with at least 1,300 points and at least 700 assists
— Preseason All-SEC Second team
No. 25 | F | Breya Cunningham | 6–4 | junior | Arizona transfer
— 8.6 points, 68.9 FG%, 46.7 FT%, 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.1 steals
Storylines
Texas riding high — can they stay perfect?
— Texas enters the game undefeated (8–0), carrying a ton of momentum after strong non-conference play.
— The Longhorns’ offense has been impressive, and last week’s wins over UCLA and South Carolina elevated them to No. 2 and a title contender.
UNC can prove it’s elite with a win or narrow loss
— UNC has shown balance on offense and defense.
— The Tar Heels’ scoring and tempo could match well against Texas — they average a high output per game and are aggressive offensively.
— A win on the road against the No. 2 team would be a major statement for their season trajectory.
Clash of high-powered offenses
— Texas often outscores opponents by a large margin, combining offense with efficient defense.
— UNC plays at a fast pace, with balanced scoring and the ability to push tempo.
—The matchup could come down to which team controls pace — Texas may want a half-court, structured game, while UNC might prefer an up-tempo style.
What to watch
— Texas’ offensive execution under pressure — Against one of the country’s best defensive teams, can Texas maintain their scoring efficiency?
— How UNC defends the perimeter and handles transition — If the Tar Heels can disrupt Texas’ rhythm and force turnovers, they could swing momentum.
— Rebounding and second-chance points — The winner will probably win the battle of the boards, and defensive rebounds for UNC could trigger transition chances.
— Tempo — Will it be fast and free as Carolina prefers? Or will it be measured and disciplined, which is more to the Longhorns’ liking?
— Free throw struggles — Both teams have struggled at the free throw line (UNC shooting 60.9% and Texas 70.1%). The team that breaks out of that will have a huge edge if it’s a close game.
Notes
— Texas expected to be without forward Aaliyah Moore and guard Laila Phelia for an extended period.
— The Longhorns, who made the Final Four last season, have five newcomers. Three are from the transfer portal: Ashton Judd (Missouri), Breya Cunningham (Arizona) and Teya Sidberry (Utah, Boston College). Their two freshmen are Aaliyah Crump and Grace Prenter.
— UNC is 22–30 against Top 25 teams under Banghart. The last win over a top-five team was over No. 4 Notre Dame 60–50 in Chapel Hill in 2023. The last road win in such matchups was over No. 3 Duke on Feb. 10, 2014.
— UNC has scored 82 3-pointers while Texas, usually more content with mid-range jumpers, has only 36.
— Texas is second in the country in two-point shooting percentage, fifth in overall field-goal percentage (53.2%), sixth in true shooting percentage, 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.55), 21st in bench points (31.9 per game) and 17th in inside points.
— Carolina is 18th in bench points per game at 33.1.
UNC season statistics
Texas season statistics
Statistical comparison
| Statistic | UNC | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Points per Game | 81.1 | 92.1 |
| FG% | 48.3% | 53.2% |
| 3PT% | 36.1% | 39.1% |
| FT% | 60.9% | 70.1% |
| Rebounds/gam2 | 36.1 | 39.1 |
| Assists/game | 17.7 | 17.6 |
| Blocks/game | 3.3 | 5.1 |
| Steals/game | 12.1 | 13.4 |
| Scoring defense | 56.3 | 54.8 |
| Opponent FG% | 39.6% | 36.3% |
| Opponent 3PT% | 30.6% | 26.5% |
| Rebound Margin | +4.8 | +8.9 |
| Assist/TO ratio | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 17 Duke | 13–0 | 18–6 | 9 |
| No. 6 Louisville | 12–1 | 22–4 | 7 |
| N.C. State | 10–3 | 17–7 | 24 |
| No. 25 North Carolina | 9–3 | 20–5 | 19 |
| Syracuse | 9–4 | 19–5 | 37 |
| Virginia | 9–4 | 17–7 | 36 |
| Virginia Tech | 8–5 | 18–7 | 44 |
| Clemson | 8–5 | 17–8 | 39 |
| Notre Dame | 7–6 | 15–9 | 30 |
| California | 6–6 | 15–10 | 51 |
| Georgia Tech | 6–7 | 11–14 | 90 |
| Stanford | 5–7 | 16–9 | 42 |
| Miami | 4–9 | 12–12 | 55 |
| Florida State | 3–9 | 8–16 | 104 |
| Wake Forest | 3–10 | 13–12 | 131 |
| SMU | 1–11 | 8–16 | 191 |
| Pittsburgh | 1–11 | 8–17 | 256 |
| Boston College | 0–13 | 4–22 | 252 |
* — Through Sunday games
Sunday’s results
No. 25 North Carolina 84, Wake Forest 56
No. 6 Louisville 84, Syracuse 65
N.C. State 82, Virginia Tech 62
California 95, Pittsburgh 80
No. 17 Duke 95, SMU 36
Virginia 81, Notre Dame 70
Florida State 87, Miami 70
Georgia Tech 74, Stanford 52
Clemson 83, Boston College 59
Thursday’s games
SMU at No. 25 North Carolina, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Syracuse at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m., ACCN Extra
Boston College at Florida State, 6 p.m., ACCN Extra
Wake Forest at No. 6 Louisville, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Georgia Tech at Clemson, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Virginia at California, 10 p.m., ACCN Extra
Virginia Tech at Stanford, 10 p.m., ACCN Extra
Sunday’s games
Pittsburgh at SMU, noon, ACC Network
Miami at Boston College, noon, ACCN Extra
No. 25 North Carolina at No. 17 Duke, 1 p.m., ABC
Virginia at Stanford, 2 p.m., The CW
Clemson at Syracuse, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
N.C. State at Notre Dame, 4 p.m., ESPN
Virginia Tech at California, 5 p.m., ACCN Extra
Florida State at No. 6 Louisville, 6 p.m., ACC Network
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 16 BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 11 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 10 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | W, 77–58 | vs. ETSU | 10–1 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | W, 71–70 | vs. Ohio State | 11–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | W, 99–51 | vs. East Carolina | 12–1 |
| 30 | Tuesday | W, 79–66 | vs. Florida State | 13–1, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | L, 97–83 | at SMU | 13–2, 1–1 |
| 10 | Saturday | W, 87–84 | vs. Wake Forest | 14–2, 2–1 |
| 14 | Wednesday | L, 95–90 | at Stanford | 14–3, 2–2 |
| 17 | Saturday | L, 84–78 | at California | 14–4, 2–3 |
| 21 | Wednesday | W, 91–69 | vs. Notre Dame | 15–4, 3–3 |
| 24 | Saturday | W, 85–80 | at No. 18 Virginia | 16–4, 4–3 |
| 31 | Saturday | W, 91–75 | at Georgia Tech | 17–4, 5–3 |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | W, 87–77 | vs. Syracuse | 18–4, 6–3 |
| 7 | Saturday | W, 71–68 | vs. No. 4 Duke | 19–4, 7–3 |
| 10 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 14 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | ESPN |
| 17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at Syracuse | ABC |
| 23 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 24 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 20 Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 4 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photos via gojacks.com
tarheeltribune.com 