Donarski and Ustby power UNC women's basketball to first ACC victory
The final game of the 2023 calendar year for the UNC women's basketball program was one that featured plenty of runs by both teams, but ended with a win for Courtney Banghart's team.
432. UNC/Clemson. 82. 441. Final. 76
In what looked like a potential blowout in favor of the Tar Heels, the Clemson Tigers kept fighting back. After going down as much as 14 in the first quarter, the Tigers cut North Carolina's lead to just one going into the half, but it would be the Tar Heels who rallied the most to close the game out.
The story for the UNC women's basketball program was the stellar performances of Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski, who combined for 44 total points in the victory.
Ustby was a force throughout, as she finished the afternoon with another double-double performance. She connected on eight of her 10 attempts to finish with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Donarski was on fire in the second half, connecting on five three-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points. As a whole, the Tar Heels took advantage of Clemson's zone defensive approach, knocking down a season-high 11 three-pointers.
Although she struggled a bit shooting the basketball, Deja Kelly still finished with 15 points. She made up for her struggles by facilitating the basketball, tying her season-high mark with eight assists.
It was a great way for the UNC women's basketball program to close out 2023, as they pick up their first (of hopefully many!) ACC victories this season. The Tar Heels will open up 2024 on Thursday night as they host Syracuse at Carmichael Arena to continue conference play.
Next. Reniya Kelly has high school jersey retired. Reniya Kelly has high school jersey retired. dark
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