Tag: Tar Heels

Kelly hits 28 as UNC women storm by SFA with huge fourth quarter

North Carolina showed again what it has done many times when facing adversity this season: Handle it, show poise, take control and leave the opponent reeling. A sensational 28-point game from Deja Kelly, an animated halftime speech from third-year UNC coach Courtney Banghart and a decisive 14–3 fourth-quarter run ensured the first NCAA tournament win for her and all of her players.

Heels play like title contenders in ousting reigning champion Baylor

FORT WORTH, Texas — When Hubert Davis said early in the season that the goal for his first North Carolina team was a national championship, it seemed a little far-fetched to many observers. After holding off reigning national champion and No. 1 seed Baylor in overtime 93–86 in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday at Dickies Arena, his Tar Heels are making believers of the college basketball world.

Improved Manek’s memories of Baylor are painful, and not just because of losses

FORT WORTH, Texas — Baylor coach Scott Drew is familiar with Brady Manek from the Bears’ battles with Oklahoma the previous four seasons. A lot has changed since his Big 12 days, though. Manek has gone from the clean-shaven Larry Bird look as a Sooner to a full beard and long, flowing hair. But there are plenty of much-more important differences this year at Carolina (25–9).

UNC women have been poised against the kind of relentless pressure defense Stephen F. Austin likely to apply

Many opponents thought they could apply pressure defense on Carolina’s women, force turnovers and dictate the play. That hasn’t worked out well most of the season. No. 12-seed Stephen F. Austin (28–4) is the latest team that will likely give that strategy a shot when it faces the No. 5-seed and 17th-ranked Tar Heels (23–6) at 7:30 Saturday night in Tucson, Ariz., (ESPN News) in the first round of the NCAA Greensboro Region.

Banghart had to get creative with 15-day break between ACC and NCAA tournament games

While most men’s teams play their NCAA tournament openers a few days after their conference tournaments, most women’s teams don’t even know their tournament draw for a week afterward. It’s an odd dynamic that women’s coaches have to deal with on an annual basis and this is the 10th time for North Carolina’s third-year coach Courtney Banghart and the second time for most of her players.

Hubert Davis’ motivating pregame speeches: Full of passion but not profane

Don’t let Coach Hubert Davis’ calm sideline demeanor. There is a lot of passion, and the first-year Carolina coach has a way of transferring that onto his team during pregame speeches. His players say that they are ready to run through a wall after those speeches. “You know you see him scowling before the games?” senior Leaky Black said. “Just imagine a pregame speech. It makes you want to run through a brick wall. That’s the message I get. I just try to go out there and play as hard as I can every time for him.”