UNC Women’s Basketball vs. Davidson Game Preview
Courtney Banghart and the UNC women’s basketball program look to improve to 2-0 on the season as they’ll host Davidson on Sunday afternoon.
After a very convincing victory over Gardner-Webb, the UNC women’s basketball program will be back in action on Sunday afternoon, as they’ll host Davidson in another non-conference tilt.
Sunday, November 12. . 2105. 1-0. 441. 6:00 PM EST. 2-0. ACC Network
Davidson put together a convincing opening night victory of their own, as they defeated South Carolina Upstate by 35 points. The Wildcats are going to be playing the second game of a back-to-back, as they defeated Wake Forest by a score of 57-52 on Saturday afternoon. Picked to finish seventh in the Atlantic-10, this group is one that benefitted from a trip to Spain this summer, as they had some additional time to gel as a unit by competing in some game action.
The Wildcats are led by senior guard Rosie Deegan, a 1,000-point career scorer, and Mallorie Haines, who is regarded as an above-average shooter. Virginia Tech transfer Charlise Dunn, who scored a game-high 17 points in the season opener, is expected to be a key contributor to this Wildcats’ team.
No offense to Gardner-Webb, but this game should be a much bigger early-season test for the UNC women’s basketball program. They’ll look to build on the season-opening victory as they continue to move through non-conference action.
Key to Victory for North Carolina
Davidson features a balanced scoring attack, as they have a handful of players who have a knack for putting the ball in the basket.
In what is music to Coach Banghart’s ears, defense is going to be the key.
The Tar Heels had a very good defensive performance against Gardner-Webb, forcing 33 turnovers. Although it’s probably not likely that they’ll force that many turnovers again (even though it would be really nice!) winning the turnover battle would make a huge difference in this one.
North Carolina needs to force Davidson into some bad shots and some timely miscues, as the success on defense should lead to good opportunities on the offensive side of the floor.
Something to Watch For
Teonni Key and Kayla McPherson were sidelined for the season opener due to injury.
Did their absence affect the starting lineup?
Banghart told reporters that she wanted to have a guard with UNC women’s basketball experience as the first one off the bench, as Paulina Paris nicely served that role in the season opener.
True freshman Reinya Kelly was among the starting unit, as she was surrounded by veterans Deja Kelly, Alyssa Ustby, Lexi Donarski, and Maria Gakdeng.
Will the starting lineup stay the same, or will we see more mixing and matching?
This may be a storyline throughout the season, as Banghart has so many options to fill that fifth spot in the starting lineup. We’ll have to wait and see if any changes are made for Sunday’s contest, or will the Tar Heels stick with the same game plan that was featured on Wednesday night?
Last Meeting
The UNC women’s basketball program is 2-0 all-time against Davidson, as the last meeting between the two clubs occurred on November 9, 2012.
In the opening round of the Preseason NIT, the Tar Heels defeated the Wildcats by a score of 70-59. North Carolina had four players in double-figures, led by Xylina McDaniel’s game-high 18 points and 12 rebounds. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt put together a 14-point performance, while Waltiea Rolle secured a double-double in the win.
Projected Starters
No. 1 Alyssa Ustby (Sr. 6-1)
No. 5 Maria Gakdeng (Jr. 6-3)
No. 10 Reniya Kelly (Fr. 5-7)
No. 20 Lexi Donarski (Gr. 6-0)
No. 25 Deja Kelly (Sr. 5-8)