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#UNC coach Courtney Banghart, forward Nyla Brooks and center Ciera Toomey after loss to Louisville.
Dec 15, 2025
#UNC coach Courtney Banghart, forward Nyla Brooks and center Ciera Toomey after loss to Louisville.
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0:00
you ready?
0:00
Yeah, just a great ACC basketball game
0:03
between two really good teams. Um, you
0:06
know, one played better than the other,
0:07
so they won. You know, we didn't play
0:09
very well, unfortunately. Um, didn't
0:11
didn't love our shots. I think
0:13
everybody, um, played with their desire.
0:16
You know, they wanted it so bad that I'm
0:17
not sure we kind of stuck to what we do.
0:19
Um, of course, we didn't we just didn't
0:21
play as well as we would have liked. I
0:23
thought defensively we also didn't play
0:24
as well as we would have liked. Um
0:26
obviously we're coming out of exams and
0:27
we you know were hopeful that we could
0:30
garner as much energy as possible and
0:32
thought we played a little tired so we
0:34
just didn't play very well. Um you know
0:36
obviously had chances to win it um both
0:39
in regulation um and in overtime and you
0:43
know it's it's a young team and that's
0:44
where that's where it shows the most
0:45
probably. Um but we know it's a long
0:49
it's a long competitive road. So so far
0:51
that's one and we'll uh we'll keep
0:52
working. Other last play regulation for
0:55
Louisville, did you want to foul on the
0:56
back court with the 2000?
0:58
We did. Yep.
1:00
Yeah, that was the plan.
1:02
Cool. I guess from the overtime
1:04
standpoint, um you guys weren't able to
1:06
got mixed shot from field scor.
1:08
Um what do you think kind of kicked in
1:11
there? Do you think it was a matter of
1:12
fatigue or just execution?
1:14
I thought we played tired most of the
1:15
day. I mean, if you look statistically
1:17
at some of our more experienced or
1:19
players that have have had better years,
1:21
we just didn't they just didn't play
1:23
well enough, right? They didn't make
1:24
enough shots. And um I don't think that
1:26
happens very often. Um and so you you
1:28
don't want it to happen, but when it
1:30
does, it's even harder to win those
1:31
games, right? Um and so, you know, when
1:33
they needed to make shots, they did. And
1:35
when we needed to make shots, we didn't.
1:36
And um you know, that's certainly that's
1:39
certainly a testament to to Louisville
1:41
coming in here and earning a victory
1:42
against a good team.
1:43
This just the bright spot obviously you
1:45
know, Henderson, the the three threes
1:47
she was able to make in the fourth
1:48
quarter. Just what was most impressive
1:49
to you about her performance?
1:51
I think for Tia, what's what's most
1:53
impressive is her um you know, her just
1:55
overall competitiveness. You know, she's
1:57
got a ton of courage. Um you know, I was
1:59
on the road recruiting on whatever day,
2:01
Thursday, Friday, both days, whatever.
2:03
And she um texted me and said, "Can we
2:06
watch back that practice?" Because she
2:07
didn't practice as well on one of those
2:08
days. Um and so here she is in the
2:11
office before practice on Saturday, I
2:13
guess. So, it must have been Friday's
2:14
practice where um it was a 10 a.m. start
2:17
and she's in my office at 9:30 watching
2:18
film from the practice before, right?
2:20
That's just who she is. You know, she's
2:21
really committed to getting better and
2:23
um as a competitor, she's got so much
2:25
courage um and felt like we needed um
2:28
that from a few more guys. Um but
2:30
certainly really proud of Talia.
2:32
Courtney, what was Louisville doing
2:33
defensively to kind of harass India all
2:36
night? She had seven turnovers.
2:37
Yeah. Yeah. I don't think she's going to
2:39
love that. Um, you know, I think again I
2:41
think what India's had a great year and
2:43
I think what she's trying to do in those
2:44
moments was to kind of get something
2:46
going. So I thought we kind of got out
2:48
of our framework and out of our flow.
2:50
Um, and you know and then that would
2:52
that would kind of clog clog lanes and
2:54
she was a little bit unglued in that
2:56
way. So it's not something that happens
2:57
very often. She's had great ball control
2:59
throughout this season so far. Um, I
3:01
think for her it came more out of uh
3:03
probably pushing a little bit too much.
3:05
Um, and I I'll take kids that push too
3:07
much versus don't push at all. Did you
3:09
say anything to her postgame to kind of
3:10
pick her up after that?
3:12
You know, she all of them, right? You
3:13
have to I think what these guys live in
3:16
is truth, right? And so the first thing
3:18
I said is I know you're disappointed and
3:19
you should be, right? I am too, right?
3:22
Um and so me telling India it's going to
3:24
be all right. It won't be all right if
3:26
we don't play better. Right? That's a
3:27
lie, right? And so I don't lie to them.
3:29
It's it's we didn't play in it well
3:30
enough to win. Um you know, it wasn't
3:32
just India. There was other guys that
3:34
didn't play well enough to win either.
3:35
But um as a whole, we didn't play well
3:37
enough to win. So, they heard that part
3:38
of it. Um, on both ends. We talked about
3:40
some of the things that we um kind of
3:42
fell short on. Um, but yeah, we're, you
3:46
know, the only thing that will pick
3:47
Indie up is to play better and to win
3:48
basketball games. And so, she'll have to
3:49
play better to do that and and um we
3:51
have full faith that she'll do that.
3:54
I'm sorry for either of the players saw
3:56
um obviously came back at the end there
3:59
just talking kind of as you around the
4:02
logo there. Um just what was she saying
4:06
and then just how did that maybe how
4:08
that helped you spirits a little bit
4:10
after?
4:11
Um she was just telling us to keep our
4:12
heads up um like it's going to be a long
4:16
journey as coach said and making sure
4:18
that we just stick together everything's
4:20
done together like individually. Don't
4:22
you know say ah like it was me or it was
4:25
me like just really look inner and inner
4:28
in our team per se and just say like we
4:30
have to be better. Um, and just really
4:34
like look at it as, oh, we got to get
4:35
better. Like really, like we have to get
4:37
better individually and we also have to
4:39
get better as a team and hold each other
4:40
a little bit more accountable.
4:43
Go ahead.
4:43
Yeah, I mean, she covered it up.
4:47
You're good.
4:48
Oh, no. She
4:50
Okay. Okay. Good. Um, I was going to say
4:52
the um for Sierra both really um had
4:57
some success on the board today even
4:59
though it didn't have some size. what
5:00
led to that and how did that kind of
5:02
help keep you in that game till the end?
5:05
Yeah, I I feel like rebounding is a
5:07
mentality kind of thing and I think we
5:08
both went into this game knowing that we
5:10
had to have a big impact in that way. Um
5:12
I mean personally that was a lot where a
5:14
lot of my points came from. Um obviously
5:16
like you said it wasn't like we were
5:18
that much bigger than them but I think
5:20
going in I was like I have to have to
5:22
find rebounds offensively today
5:24
defensively. Um and on the defensive
5:26
side just get up the floor real quick
5:27
after that.
5:29
Oh, she she said it perfect. Just it's a
5:32
mentality. Um, and you know, I played at
5:34
Louisville for three years and that's an
5:36
emphasis for them. So, making sure that,
5:38
you know, they're going to get tired at
5:40
some point, but we have to keep
5:42
attacking and make sure that they see,
5:43
oh, they should have been better and
5:44
something else, but rebounding is really
5:46
important and rebounding wins games.
5:48
So, for the players, what were you all
5:50
seeing from Louisville in the overtime
5:53
period that sort of led to the scoreless
5:58
Um,
6:00
I think we just like let them run
6:02
through their plays. Like we like let
6:03
them set up. We let Taj look at coach
6:06
balls and see what she wanted to do. We
6:08
let them talk and point. Um, we kind of
6:10
like were really relaxed. And I think in
6:12
that time we knew we were down. We
6:14
needed to kind of disrupt the ball
6:16
handle, make her do something instead of
6:18
trying to set everybody up. Um, and I
6:21
think that kind of led to, you know,
6:23
we're already behind. So, if we're
6:25
letting them set up and get what they
6:26
want, they could either score or we'll
6:30
have to get a little bit we get a less a
6:32
little bit less time on the clock
6:33
because they're taking time off the
6:34
clock. So,
6:35
yeah, I think they looked very
6:37
comfortable in that time when we looked
6:38
very uncomfortable and I feel like that
6:39
was a big difference that was also
6:41
noticeable.
6:43
Uh, for both of you guys, obviously you
6:45
go back into the non-conference and then
6:47
you kind of pick up more of the ACC
6:49
after that. uh how important is it, you
6:51
know, in your opinion to kind of get,
6:54
you know, a quick, you know, moment of
6:56
ACC play, quick taste of ACC, then kind
6:58
of carry it into the uh I guess larger
7:00
ACC portion of that base.
7:03
Yeah. Um I think this is a great game um
7:07
to have as an ACC home opener. I mean,
7:09
home opener, ACC opener p. I feel like
7:12
we could have played anybody, but I
7:14
think playing Louisville, who is
7:15
obviously top two in our league, is like
7:17
really important for us to see where
7:19
we're at. Um, it's the first game, of
7:20
course, we have a long road to go. And
7:23
as coach says time and time again, like
7:25
it's it's a it's a it's a great game
7:27
every single night. It's it's going to
7:29
come down to who's tougher, who um can
7:31
execute better. And I think tonight we
7:34
were tested with that, and we can see,
7:35
you know, where we can be better at. You
7:37
know, of course, everybody has bad
7:38
games. And I think again that's why
7:40
coach Bangart just you know makes sure
7:42
that we just kind of hold ourselves
7:43
accountable but also say like okay it's
7:46
a game we got to keep being better. Um
7:48
and just you know I think it's a great
7:50
test. Like Louisville is a great team. I
7:53
played there for three years. Like
7:54
they're a great team. They have a great
7:55
system and I think it's a great first
7:58
game to see you know where we're at.
8:01
What are your emotions of in this sort
8:03
of situation against your former
8:04
teammates and is it particularly tough
8:06
loss for you because of that situation?
8:08
Um, yeah. But I mean, honestly, I think
8:12
like we're both great teams. Like I'm
8:15
It's not like I left a school that, you
8:17
know, was like, you know, like it's a
8:19
good team. Um, Coach Walls has a great
8:21
system. And, um, I think my emotions
8:23
were just like, let's go. Like, you
8:25
know, this, we had a whole week to
8:27
prepare. So, it was like there wasn't
8:29
even another game during the week. It
8:30
was just Louisville, Louisville,
8:31
Louisville. So, I think it was just
8:33
like, okay, like, let's, you know, let's
8:34
go. Let's, we've been preparing for this
8:36
all week. And I think it was just high
8:37
emotions and excitement, you know. I
8:39
said hey to the girls after and go on
8:42
about our lives, you know. So, yeah.
8:44
We talked about those those final
8:46
moments um in the in the game. Um how do
8:51
you think the the last few seconds? What
8:53
was the emotions there? The last 19
8:55
seconds up three, then they tie the game
8:57
and then going into overtime, what was
8:59
sort of the mindset and kind of the plan
9:01
there? Um, I think, you know,
9:06
I think
9:08
it was like the emotions were like,
9:11
holy, like, it's actually a tight game.
9:14
You know what I'm saying? Like, it was
9:15
like, oh my gosh, like we got to go.
9:17
Like, and I think that was where the
9:21
difference with that emotion and like
9:22
regulation game emotion was like it has
9:25
to be like that whole 40 minutes. Like,
9:27
we have to feel like, oh my gosh, we're
9:29
about to lose this game. We kind of
9:31
waited until the last second and I think
9:33
you know again we kind of let them they
9:35
were up almost the whole entire game
9:37
right like we like they're already in a
9:39
little bit of an advantage. So I think
9:41
that was kind of like more of the
9:42
emotions and realizing dang we got to be
9:45
better
9:47
just for um I think help to one of eight
9:51
field
9:52
um Jeff was just in here saying how much
9:54
they were really clued into just
9:56
stopping her. Yeah. Um, what do you
9:59
think it was maybe about just defense?
10:02
That was kind of disappointing.
10:04
Yeah, I mean, obviously when you when
10:06
you add up Elena and and India and Raya
10:08
and Nyla Brooks, you're not going to
10:10
like that kind of plus. You're not going
10:12
to like that shot attempts to shot
10:14
makes. We talk about shot quality. We
10:15
talk about early decision-m, right? Um,
10:18
I think when we look at that game, by
10:19
and large, our shot quality won't be
10:21
where it's been. I think our decision-m
10:23
will be a bit delayed. Um, and you know,
10:26
I think those are those are areas that
10:27
we just have to keep getting better in.
10:29
And um, is it because there was a fog?
10:31
Is it because of exams? Was it because
10:33
we um, you know, we we were fatigued? I
10:37
don't know. But I can tell you it's not
10:38
because these guys are are not paying
10:40
attention and and not getting better.
10:41
Right. This isn't a team that I've I've
10:43
seen play like this very often. So, you
10:45
know, I think it's kind of the perfect
10:46
storm of just I thought Louisville
10:47
played really well, better than the
10:48
games I've watched and and we didn't
10:50
play as well. Um, I thought we made
10:52
slower decisions than we needed to and I
10:54
thought we also her shot quality wasn't
10:55
great quite honestly. Um, and E is right
10:57
there right on with it. She got a little
10:58
too deep with her dribble. Um, her shot
11:00
quality was was bad because she she was
11:02
slow into her release. You know, she
11:04
wasn't attacking finishes in the way she
11:05
does. Um, we got too deep on our
11:07
penetration, so our windows weren't
11:09
great. I mean, we just we just quite
11:10
honestly our just decisions were slow
11:11
and our and our shot making our shot
11:13
quality wasn't great. I mean, it's you
11:15
know, it's not that it's not that this
11:17
wasn't a game that we wanted to win.
11:18
It's that we we also it is what it is,
11:20
right? We we just didn't play well
11:21
enough. We were those two areas were
11:23
critical concerns and I thought
11:24
defensively we were a bit we played
11:26
tired. We didn't set the tone. We were I
11:28
mean we let them really get comfortable.
11:29
We give up 26 points in the first
11:31
quarter. Like we give up we give up that
11:33
in three quarters typically, right? Um
11:35
and so we just didn't we just didn't
11:37
play very well. I know you're not going
11:38
to play really well for the 16 ACC games
11:40
and it's just it looks it feels right
11:43
now like oh god we played bad on the
11:45
like it's one of the 16 games. you have
11:47
to win as many of them as you can. Stack
11:49
wins, play be playing your best
11:50
basketball in the tournament. Um, and
11:52
this is a good kind of okay. I didn't
11:54
think we played well enough to take them
11:56
to overtime, quite honestly. This is
11:57
this team is is too good for us to play
11:59
so poorly on both ends. And, you know,
12:02
so there's hope. Um, I just doesn't do
12:04
me any good to to to share them with my
12:06
hope because I'm wearing a sweater or
12:08
quarter zip, right? But this is a team
12:10
that has hopes. I see him practice every
12:11
day. You know, we just we'll have to
12:13
play better and um I'm confident we
12:15
will. Courtney, you mentioned Nyla
12:17
Brookke. She didn't play at all after
12:18
halftime. What sort of went into that
12:20
decision making,
12:21
you know, I think she just, you know,
12:22
there was she was aggressive on the
12:24
catch and obviously that what we really
12:26
needed was ball movement and that wasn't
12:27
what she was doing so well. Um, also Tia
12:30
Henderson played really well. I mean,
12:32
um, and so she ended up getting more of
12:34
those minutes that were kind of more
12:36
available. Um, you know, and so I can I
12:40
always say this to all the guys, no one
12:42
I actually really don't care who plays.
12:43
I'm highly motivated to win basketball
12:45
games, right? And so, you know, whether
12:48
whether Nyla plays more than Sierra, I
12:49
spend zero time thinking about that.
12:51
Like literally not a minute about that.
12:53
It's about who can help us win games in
12:54
that moment. And, you know, I thought um
12:57
Tia's second half warranted um you know,
13:00
her to her to continue playing with a
13:02
lot of those minutes. Sir and Isaac, can
13:05
I guess one of or both of you guys talk
13:07
about uh obviously Henderson's ability
13:09
to kind of step up and you know make
13:11
those shots like what have you kind of
13:12
seen from her behind the scenes in
13:14
practice that have kind of allowed her
13:16
to I guess be ready for those type of
13:18
moments and get those shots?
13:19
I can I can take this one. Yeah, T is
13:21
she just works really hard. She asks
13:23
questions. She she really just wants to
13:24
understand the system. Um coming in as a
13:27
freshman, there's so many things you
13:28
have to worry about like just
13:30
understanding the program, like the offc
13:32
course up just everything. Um, and Tia's
13:34
done a really good job of working out
13:37
when she feel like coach's example like
13:39
that makes full sense to me. She just
13:41
wants to get better day in and day out
13:43
and I'm happy that it showed today.
13:45
Could you speak to Ria? She led the team
13:48
with four says she brought the defense,
13:49
but she's never been in a shooting slump
13:51
like this before. What What's she going
13:53
through there?
13:54
I don't know. I mean, I think for for
13:55
Ria, she's not fully cleared. I hope
13:57
that right after Christmas, I think, is
13:59
when we're going to kind of unleash her.
14:00
Um, and so, you know, new knowing ACC
14:03
play, we'd need her late, you know, not
14:05
trying to grind her early, you know. So,
14:07
we're still we're still I know
14:08
everyone's in uniform, which is a rare
14:09
thing at Carolina. I get it. Um, but
14:11
she's still not fully back, you know,
14:13
she's kind of we're giving her game
14:15
minutes as opposed to practice minutes
14:16
so that we can she can kind of get her
14:18
game rhythm that way. Um, because of her
14:20
experience, I think it warrants that.
14:22
So, um, you know, I have with what she's
14:25
been able to do and I've seen her play.
14:27
Of course, if you add up all the
14:28
practice days and I'm recruiting her,
14:29
you know, it's it I'm I'm sad for her
14:32
that she hasn't found the basket, but I
14:34
there's no one who believes in Ria Kelly
14:36
more than me. There's
14:37
she visit practicing.
14:38
Oh, no, she's not. No, she's not giving
14:40
much practice minutes right now. We hope
14:42
that will change right after the new
14:43
year. Um, but we've always been playing
14:45
the long game with her.
14:47
Sorry, no, sorry, I did mean to
14:48
interrupt. Um just for you guys 22
14:51
points that you adding 34 for
14:52
Louisville. You talked earlier about
14:54
maybe not liking some of the teams you
14:57
guys were um what what went into that
15:00
I mean pain points come in a lot of ways
15:02
overboards. It comes in the transition
15:04
and it comes in dribble attacks. It
15:06
comes in um post touches, right? I think
15:09
um my mother probably thinks that uh
15:11
that you know points in the paint are
15:12
post feeds, right? That's just not
15:14
that's not it. basically po post feeds
15:16
are I mean paint scores are aggressive
15:18
offensive attack in all ways in all kind
15:20
of in all of those areas. Um and so I
15:22
think they littered themselves through
15:24
kind of all four of those categories
15:25
really well. I mean they uh a poor shot
15:28
for us or a turnover led to paint scores
15:30
or paint paint opportunities. Um they
15:33
are switching um we were reactionary and
15:36
so they would able to post up. Um so
15:38
there were some post ups that way. Um,
15:40
and then their offensive rebounds. I
15:42
mean, it's sort of like it it kind of
15:43
comes together in all those kind of
15:45
categories. Um, you know, so I don't
15:47
think it was the paint points. I don't
15:48
think it was the fast break points. It
15:50
was our defensive ment our defensive
15:52
identity wasn't as good as it's been,
15:54
right? And you add that into playing
15:57
with hesitation and their shot selection
15:58
being um a bit iffy. It just is not a
16:01
great equation against a really good
16:03
team. So, I think if if we watch that
16:04
game back without a scoreboard, I it
16:06
feels like we lose by 20 because it's
16:08
just not the team I'm used to seeing,
16:09
right? Um, but these guys are Warriors,
16:11
so of course they keep it a battle and
16:13
they have every chance to win it late. I
16:14
mean, it was fascinating the end the end
16:16
of the game there, but I've got a
16:18
youthful team and you got to live
16:19
through those growing pains. I get it,
16:21
you know. Um, and thank God we're living
16:23
through them now because when you're
16:24
looking at the ACC tournament, you're
16:25
not living through it then. That's
16:26
that's a goodbye, right? And so, it's
16:28
just another step in our journey.
16:30
Any other questions? Great. Thanks
16:32
everyone.
16:33
Thanks guys.
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