UNC Basketball: Deja Kelly defends ACC Freshman of the Week honors

UNC women’s basketball standout Deja Kelly has been named ACC Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week.

North Carolina freshman guard Deja Kelly has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Week according to an announcement from the league on Monday afternoon. It’s the second consecutive week that the UNC standout has won the award, the latter following a week in which she averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range and nearly 90 percent at the free throw line.

As an encore performance, Kelly tied her career-high single-game point total in back-to-back contests last week. In a 25-point win over Georgia Tech on Thursday, Kelly scored 22 points on a 7-for-13 shooting performance that included 2-for-2 from three-point range and 6-for-6 at the free throw line. She also recored four assists, one rebound, one steal and a block in a team-high 33 minutes of play.

In a matchup with Virginia Tech on Sunday, she continued right where she left off against the Yellow Jackets three days prior. Scoring another 22 points, Kelly connected on 8-of-16 shots for the game, and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. She also hit all three of her attempts at the foul line, while pulling down two rebounds and dishing out two assists. She played a game-high 40 minutes in the Tar Heels’ 68-63 victory over the Hokies.

For the week, Kelly shot 51.7 percent overall, 55.6 percent from long-range and 100 percent at the charity stripe. It was just another big week for the young UNC star, and one that has Tar Heel fans excited for the future.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Deja Kelly, and the UNC women’s basketball program.