Some things in life are just tough to forget.
That's probably how the UNC women's basketball program feels regarding their regular season loss to Florida State.
While the regular season didn't provide the Tar Heels with a chance at revenge, the postseason has aligned to give North Carolina another crack at Florida State.
2024-2025 Regular Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 26-6
Conference Record: 13-5
Home Record: 12-4
Away Record: 9-1
Neutral Site Record: 4-1
Florida State Seminoles
Overall record: 23-7
Conference Record: 13-5
Home Record: 13-3
Away Record: 7-4
Neutral Site Record: 3-0
Key Players (With Regular Season Stats)
North Carolina
Maria Gakdeng (Sr. Forward/Center) – 11.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Alyssa Ustby (Gr. Guard/Forward) – 10.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Reniya Kelly (So. Guard) – 10.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Boston College
Ta'Niya Latson (Jr. Guard) - 25.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists
Makayla Timpson (Sr. Forward) - 17.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists
O'Mariah Gordon (Sr. Guard) - 16.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists
Last Meeting
On January 26, these two teams put together an instant classic at Carmichael Arena.
Unfortunately, North Carolina was on the losing end of it.
Courtesy of a Ta'Niya Latson buzzer-beater, Florida State secured a 86-84 victory over the then-ranked No. 13 Tar Heels.
Latson had a big-time performance, scoring a game-high 25 points to go along with seven assists and four rebounds. Maria Gakdeng led the charge for North Carolina, scoring a team-best 21 points.
North Carolina had five players score in double-figures: Gakdeng, Reniya Kelly (16 points), Alyssa Ustby (14 points, 10 rebounds), Lanie Grant (13 points), and Lexi Donarski (12 points).
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Win the battle in the post and keep the strong three-point shooting going
We often talk about the importance of getting Maria Gakdeng going early and often, as the recipe will success ultimately runs through the post.
Now, with Alyssa Ustby back, the Tar Heels two top scoring threats are active, as their ability to put the ball in the basket will be crucial toward opening up shot opportunities from deep.
Gakdeng and Ustby were highly efficient in the regular season matchup, but the Tar Heels struggled shooting the basketball from beyond-the-arc.
North Carolina needs to build on their success in terms of shooting the basketball from their victory over Boston College. If the Tar Heels struggle offensively, it will be tough to keep up with a high-scoring Seminoles team who is led by one of the top overall scorers the country has to offer.
Something to Watch for
"Soon."
A one-word answer from Courtney Banghart regarding when guard Reniya Kelly would be back in action.
Kelly went through warmups and was suited up for Thursday morning's game but did not play. Is it possible that the sophomore will be back in the lineup for the Tar Heels' quarterfinal bout?
We all hope the answer to that is yes.