By Beckett Brantley
CHAPEL HILL — No. 18 North Carolina moved to 11–3 on Sunday in an all-around win over Charleston Southern, led by season-highs of 19 points and six 3-pointers from freshman Nyla Brooks.
The Tar Heels weathered a run in the fourth quarter that brought CSU within 11 points, and ultimately pulled out a 93–74 victory at Carmichael Arena, scoring 11 3-pointers for the fourth consecutive game.
“We were trying to play our defense the best we could,” freshman guard Taissa Queiroz said. “We know what we can do and when we saw they started getting in their threes, we held together and we were trying to play the better defense and the fourth quarter was better.
UNC was missing sophomore guard Lanie Grant (flu), who is averaging 28 minutes and over nine points this season, but it didn’t affect the offense’s ability to score against the 2–10 Buccaneers, who rank 345 in the NET.
Brooks came off the bench in the first half and led the team with nine points in nine minutes. She started the second half and led the team in scoring. Brooks provided an answer from 3-point range, shooting 50% to counter CSU’s efficient 52%.
Brooks, whose previous season-highs were 18 points against UNCG and four 3-pointers four times, also led UNC with five defensive rebounds.
“I think [Brooks] is one of the best freshmen in the country,” UNC Coach Courtney Banghart said. “We’ve really asked for her to grow on the defensive end so that she can be a reliable player with the top group all the time and she’s made major strides.”
North Carolina took advantage of its matchups. Sophomore center Blanca Thomas (4 points, 12 minutes) and redshirt sophomore forward Ciera Toomey (9 points, 5 rebounds) had a considerable height advantage down low and used it to extend the lead in the first half.
The offense spread the wealth. Eleven Tar Heels played, and the fast-paced offense that UNC established was supported by 19 points off turnovers and good ball movement. The Tar Heels recorded a season-high 22 assists (previous high was 21 against South Dakota State and Kansas State).
“We practice this transition, getting out and communicating with each other,” said Brooks, who scored the most 3-pointers by a Tar Heel in two seasons. “We practice this a lot. Five-on-0 in practice, just getting up and down the court in transition, getting to our secondaries.”
UNC left its starting lineup in for over half of the first quarter. The Tar Heels were pushing the pace in transition, going to senior forward Nyla Harris in the post, but the score was tied at 10 with about five minutes left in the first.
A Charleston Southern 3-pointer sandwiched by UNC turnovers gave the Buccaneers the lead, 13–11, but senior guard Indya Nivar (14 points, team-high 6 assists, 4 rebounds) scored her first points from downtown, and Brooks followed up from the corner to regain a four-point lead.
Four 3-pointers and seven fast-break points gave North Carolina a 23–13 lead after one quarter.
An 11-0 run culminated in a contested three from Brooks to extend the lead to 21 in the second quarter. Nine players scored on 63% shooting to give UNC a comfortable 50-25 lead at halftime.
Charleston Southern began the second half hot from beyond the arc. Guard Tyonna Bailey, who came off the bench, scored 10 points in the first five minutes, including two 3-pointers.
CSU had averaged almost 30 3-point attempts coming into the game, and UNC didn’t seem to have a defensive answer for the prolific outside shooting.
“Charleston Southern really shot the ball really, really well,” Banghart said. “We take pride in getting stops and we didn’t get enough of them today.”
But Queiroz’s offensive rebounding efforts fed 11 second-chance points in the third quarter, keeping the Tar Heels ahead 70–49. She recorded four rebounds in nine second-half minutes.
“Taissa was finally healthy and you’re seeing what we love about her,” Banghart said.
Banghart went back to a heavy-scoring lineup after an 11–2 Charleston Southern run to begin the fourth.
A CSU 3-pointer brought the deficit down to 11 about four minutes into the quarter, but junior guard Reniya Kelly tied her season-high eight points with a layup to go up 15.
Kelly, who had missed 21 consecutive field-goal attempts before going 4 of 12 Sunday, played 25 minutes in the win.
“She’s coming,” Banghart said. “The plan all along has been to bring her back in the full go of the second semester. She’s been really patient and stuck with the plan, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she does in ACC play.”
Sophomore guard Elina Aarnisalo, who finished with 16 points and four assists, put up a fast-break layup to seal the deal.
The Tar Heels went 11–2 in nonconference play, and a rigorous ACC slate is all that awaits them. They continue conference play on Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. (ACC Network) against Boston College (4–10) in Chestnut Hill.
No. 18 UNC 93, Charleston Southern 74
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 6 Louisville | 11–0 | 21–3 | 7 |
| No. 17 Duke | 11–0 | 16–6 | 14 |
| Syracuse | 8–3 | 18–4 | 39 |
| Virginia Tech | 8–3 | 18–5 | 42 |
| N.C. State | 8–3 | 15–7 | 26 |
| No. 25 North Carolina | 7–3 | 18–5 | 21 |
| Virginia | 7–4 | 15–7 | 38 |
| Clemson | 7–4 | 16–7 | 37 |
| Notre Dame | 6–5 | 14–8 | 31 |
| Georgia Tech | 5–6 | 10–13 | 94 |
| Stanford | 4–5 | 15–7 | 36 |
| California | 4–6 | 13–10 | 54 |
| Miami | 4–7 | 12–10 | 49 |
| Florida State | 2–8 | 7–15 | 110 |
| Wake Forest | 2–9 | 12–11 | 123 |
| SMU | 1–9 | 8–14 | 181 |
| Pittsburgh | 1–9 | 8–15 | 260 |
| Boston College | 0–11 | 4–20 | 248 |
* — Through Tuesday 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 61, N.C. State 59
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 | W, 61–59 | at N.C. State | 18–5, 7–3 |
| 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 |
Photos courtesy of UNC Athletics
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