By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — No. 16 North Carolina endured 21 minutes of uneven play with careless mistakes and bad shooting. But once the Tar Heels found their rhythm, they delivered 19 of their most efficient minutes of the season.
With turnovers and penetration turning the second half into a flurry of easy shots, UNC rallied from a five-point third-quarter deficit and rolled to a 71–55 victory Thursday over California at Carmichael Arena.
UNC (13–3, 1–1 ACC) toasted the new year in style with 10 fourth-quarter layups, shooting 51.4% in the second half.
Indya Nivar bounced back from a tough game at BC, when she battled foul trouble, to lead the way with 16 points, six assists and four steals.
“We didn’t shoot very well,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. “Obviously, they shot way above their average. We shot way below. But our guys really stuck together. So, I appreciate how we won.”
Carolina typically needs strong 3-point shooting to win. But on a day when the Tar Heels had their third-worst perimeter shooting game of the season at 21.4%, they found another way.
Banghart said 3 of 14 from outside the arc is “not what we do,” but was happy that UNC overcame that.
“We’ve asked our interior game to have more force,” Banghart said. “When we have nights like this where we don’t shoot it well, that’s OK. We have to be able to win in a variety of ways. Really glad that we were able to get to the free-throw line, to convert there, to really improve our two-point percentage in the second half.”
When UNC took control, it forced turnovers and took away Cal’s 3-point production. The Bears went from making 6 of 9 3-point attempts in the first half to going 1 of 10 after halftime.
“We came out of the second half and changed up our ball screen coverage, and then we sprinkled in some of our zone, which gave them a different look,” Banghart said.”
If UNC had its usual good perimeter shooting game, the first half would have gone much differently. It was just a matter of the shots not falling.
“I liked a lot of our looks in the first half. We just didn’t make them,” Banghart said. “It was some of the defensive letdown that I didn’t like. Part of that was how I was asking them to cover stuff. So, I had to make an adjustment. And part of that was how they could finish plays. So it was kind of a two-part problem there.”
Nyla Harris (13 points, 10 rebounds, four assists) continued a productive week after scoring 17 in Monday’s win at Boston College.
She said her success inside came from fundamentals, working in tandem with center Ciera Toomey (13 points and nine rebounds) as UNC dominated with a 50–26 edge in inside points.
“We do a good job of sealing our opponents,” said Harris, who was a team-high +22. “It’s all about the angles and the way you seal your player to get an open layup. Me and Ciera do a good job of that; we’re great passers.”
Harris got the bulk of the minutes at the five spot when Toomey came out, as Blanca Thomas only played 3½ minutes. It is an easy switch for Harris, who played only at center at Louisville last season.
“Now I’m doing a little bit of the four and the five, and being able to adjust based on who is in and who I’m in with,” Harris said. “It did take me a little bit to get adjusted to having a four player guarding me. That doesn’t change the fact that I can post up as a four. Now that I’ve gotten into my rhythm with that, it’s made my game a lot easier.”
Asked about her career-high and team-leading five assists, Harris admitted that she didn’t realize that and thought it was crazy. Then she deflected praise in explaining her defensive effort and pointed to Nivar.
“Having a player like Indy on my team, it kind of pushes me to learn from her and seeing how relentless she is in the gaps, and how nobody can really stop her on defense,” Harris said. “It just is contagious.”
Carolina turned 22 turnovers into 12 fast-break points, the ninth time this season that the Tar Heels have forced at least 20 turnovers.
“CB says all the time, like, who wants to join that party with Indya? And I raised my hand to that saying, you know what, I want to join with Indy,” Harris said.
Carolina scored the first nine points, with a Nivar steal leading to a Grant layup and a 9–0 lead after four minutes.
After a Cal timeout, what looked like the start of a joyride turned into a mighty struggle that included long stretches without offensive focus and defensive lapses.
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Cal took a five-point lead when a Lola Donez 3-pointer capped a 14–3 run with 1:41 left in the first quarter. Toomey ended a 5½-minute UNC scoreless drought with a layup at the buzzer, but the Bears led 17–14 after one quarter.
The Bears led by five on a Sakima Walker layup to start the second quarter before a Thomas layup capped a game-tying 8–3 run.
After a Walker three-point play pushed Cal’s lead back to four, a Taliyah Henderson free throw with 27½ seconds left tied it. A Mjracle Sheppard jumper with four seconds left gave the Bears a 34–32 halftime lead.
Cal went up by five as UNC went scoreless for more than three minutes before a short Grant jumper at 5:52 of the third quarter. That ignited an 11–2 UNC run to take a 47–43 lead on a short jumper by freshman Taissa Queiroz as Cal went more than six minutes without a field goal. A Kelly 3-pointer pushed the lead to five, and UNC led 50–47 after three quarters.
UNC began the fourth quarter with a 14–4 run to open up a 14-point lead on a Harris three-point play with 3:56 left. Nivar’s layup capped a 6–0 run to push UNC’s lead to a game-high 18 points with 1:41 left.
Walker led the Bears (9–6, 0–2) with 19 points and eight rebounds. Cal’s leading scorer, Lulu Twidale was held to five points, which tied her season-low.
Notes
— The Tar Heels are back at home at 1 p.m. Sunday (ESPN) to face Stanford before playing three of the following four games on the road. The Cardinal (12–3, 1–1) lost 75–46 at N.C. State on Thursday afternoon.
— Cal star freshman guard Aliyahna “Puff” Morris missed the game with a lower-leg injury.
— UNC shot 72.7% from the free-throw line, only the sixth time this season that the Tar Heels have shot at least 70%.
— Carolina is 2–2 when shooting worse than 30% from 3-point range: beating Elon (15.4%) and losing to Texas (18.2%) and UCLA (27.3%).
— Reniya Kelly (9 points, 2 assists, 2 steals), who no longer has a wrap over her right knee, was slow to get up after falling on her back along the baseline late in the first quarter, but played 34½ minutes
— UNC leads the series with the Bears 4–2 and has won the last two meetings and moved to 7–1 at Carmichael this season.
— With Cal held to eight fourth-quarter points, UNC has held opponents to single-digit point quarters 14 times in 16 games.
No. 16 UNC 71, Cal 55
| 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 | TBA | 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 | TBA | 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 courtesy of UNC Athletics
