Keeping It Heel
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UNC Women’s Basketball defeats Clemson in ACC Tournament opener

By Nick Delahanty

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 02: Kennedy Todd-Williams #3 and Kayla McPherson #14 of the North Carolina Tar Heels react during the first half of their game against the Clemson Tigers in the second round of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 02, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 02: Kennedy Todd-Williams #3 and Kayla McPherson #14 of the North Carolina Tar Heels react during the first half of their game against the Clemson Tigers in the second round of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 02, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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The UNC women’s basketball program opened up the ACC Tournament with a second-round victory over Clemson on Thursday night.

For the first time in the Courtney Banghart era, the UNC women’s basketball program has won a game in the ACC Tournament.

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The Tar Heels ended their Greensboro drought (dating back to 2019) as they defeated Clemson in their second-round matchup. With the win, North Carolina will move onto the quarterfinals, as they’ll match up with rival Duke for a third time this season.

Behind a strong first quarter from Eva Hodgson, the Tar Heels got off to a strong start. However, foul trouble, combined with a dominant performance from Amari Robinson would cause some troubles for North Carolina.

In the third quarter, both Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby picked up their fourth personal fouls, as their absence on the court allowed the Tigers to attempt to creep back into the game.

However, the Tar Heels would not fold, as they held Clemson at bay throughout the fourth quarter. Banghart showed faith in her two junior standouts, as both checked in early on in the quarter and managed not to foul out of the contest.

Ustby put together a strong 34 minutes of work, as she finished the night with 15 points and six rebounds. Even with dealing with foul trouble, Kelly managed to score 14 points of her own, while Hodgson (13 points) and Kennedy Todd-Williams (12) scored in double-figures.

Destiny Adams was huge off the bench, scoring 9 points while bringing in five rebounds. While the team was dealing with foul trouble, Adams provided a major spark, playing some much-needed quality minutes in the win.

It will be a quick turnaround for the UNC women’s basketball program as they’ll take on Duke in less than 24 hours. If the first two matchups were any indication, we’re in for another nail-biting competition between the two rivals on Friday night.

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