UNC Women’s Basketball: Close, but not close enough
Courtney Banghart and the UNC women’s basketball program put up a strong fight, but it wasn’t enough to upset No. 1 South Carolina.
A physical contest from start to finish, the UNC women’s basketball program let an early lead slip away in a hard-fought loss to No. 1 ranked South Carolina on Thursday night.
Final. 65. 533. 58. 441
After two straight losses in the Gulf Coast Showcase, the Tar Heels were considered heavy underdogs heading into this top-25 matchup. Most betting sites had the Gamecocks favored by 28.5 points!
North Carolina wasn’t backing down by any means, as evident by their play, especially early on in the game.
The Tar Heels got off to a great start, holding the Gamecocks scoreless through almost the first five minutes of the first quarter. They would take a 9-point lead to end the quarter, one that was headlined by a bit of a scuffle that occurred on the court.
Fighting for a loose ball, Alyssa Ustby and Ashlyn Watkins got tangled up. Ustby proceeds to push through Watkins, heading back down the court, as Watkins was unhappy with the Tar Heels star forward.
As Watkins charged toward Ustby, Deja Kelly stepped in the way, and both teams huddled up in an effort to protect their teammates. Technical fouls were called against Watkins and Kelly, but the chippiness didn’t stop there.
From there, South Carolina took control, outscoring the Tar Heels in each of the last three-quarters of play. Although the contest was a back-and-forth affair, the UNC women’s basketball program was unable to erase their fourth-quarter deficit.
Shooting was once again an issue for the Tar Heels, as they connected on just 31.3% of their shot attempts. They also struggled mightily from three-point range, making just four of 21 attempts from beyond the arc.
While the shooting woes continued, the defensive was once again playing at a very high level. They held the Gamecocks, who essentially have scored 100 points a game, to a season-low 65 points, as this game not only proved that the Tar Heels defense is as good as advertised, but that they can hang with just about any team in the country.
Kelly led all scorers with 20 points, as she returned after hitting her head on a scary fall late in the third quarter. This contest marks the 23rd time that Kelly has scored 20 or more points in a game as a Tar Heel and the second time she’s done so against a No. 1-ranked South Carolina squad.
Alyssa Ustby recorded her 25th double-double and 30th career 10+ rebound game, as she finished the game with 18 points, 12 rebounds and three assists.
Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski provided a combined 17 points. All 58 of the Tar Heels points in this contest game from the starting unit, as bench production was an issue.
It may sound crazy (given the loss and three straight losses), but you have to be encouraged by how the Tar Heels performed against an elite opponent. The hope is that the shots will start to fall at some point, but this game could be a very valuable learning experience for Courtney Banghart’s team as they face a tough schedule ahead.
Next. UNC Basketball fends off Tennessee in Chapel Hill. dark
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