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Keeping It Heel
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UNC women's basketball catches fire from beyond the arc in their home opener

The Tar Heels set a new single-game program record in their dominant victory over NC Central.
ByNick Delahanty
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Mar 27, 2026; Fort Worth, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Nyla Brooks (7) shoots a free throw against the UConn Huskies during the second half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Mar 27, 2026; Fort Worth, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Nyla Brooks (7) shoots a free throw against the UConn Huskies during the second half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The UNC women's basketball program needed a statement win, and that's exactly what Courtney Banghart's team did on Wednesday night.

Playing in front of the Carmichael Arena faithful for the first time this season, UNC's offense exploded for 109 points in an absolute rout of NC Central. While the Tar Heels beat an opponent they were expected to handle easily, the story of the game was the history they made.

UNC sets a single-game program record

The Tar Heels' previous single-game record for three-pointers in a game came last season when they drained 16 triples against Virginia.

It didn't take long for them to re-write the record books.

Overall, UNC connected on 18 three-pointers to set the new record, as eight different Tar Heels made at least one three pointer in the victory.

Nyla Brooks led the way with five triples, while Laila Hull, Sophie Burrows, Reniya Kelly, and Gabby White all connected on multiple shots from beyond the arc. While the overall effort was impressive, the one who made the record breaking shot couldn't have been a better option:

Sydney Barker.

The former walk-on's story is still an incredible one. Holding multiple offers from lower Division I programs coming out of high school, Barker took a chance on herself by becoming a walk-on at North Carolina, her dream school.

Her hard work and dedication has paid off, as she's worked her way to being a scholarship player and a captain for the program. Now serving as the heart and soul of the program, Barker, now in her senior season, was the absolute perfect player to drain the shot to re-write the record books.

Sure, the blowout victory over NC Central doesn't erase the first week of the regular season. However, for a team that needed a boost, that win certainly should do that, helping to show this team that they are still one of the best in the country.

Courtney Banghart and her staff know what this team is capable of, which is why they challenged them with a tough non-conference schedule. The losses will turn to lessons and the wins will turn into celebrations, as Wednesday night was a historic outing that hopefully begins a stretch of good things to come for this year's squad.

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