After a very convincing victory over Florida in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, the UNC women's basketball program returns to Chapel Hill to close out non-conference play on Saturday afternoon.
Their opponent: the Norfolk State Spartans, a team that is off to a tremendous start to the 2024-2025 season of their own.
This isn't one of those gimme games for the Tar Heels. The Spartans have won four in a row, and while you may say "their schedule isn't the strongest," this is a group that took Alabama (who is currently ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25 Poll) to the wire just a few weeks back.
Needless to say, Norfolk State can't be overlooked, as the UNC women's basketball program aims to end non-conference play on a high note.
2024-2025 Season
No. 19 North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall Record: 11-2
Conference Record: 0-1
Home Record: 6-1
Away Record: 1-0
Neutral Site Record: 4-1
Norfolk State Spartans
Overall Record: 11-3
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 5-0
Away Record: 4-1
Neutral Site Record: 2-2
Key Players (with 2024-2025 stats)
North Carolina
Alyssa Ustby (Gr. Forward)- 10.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists
Maria Gakdeng (Sr. Forward)- 10.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Indya Nivar (Jr. Guard)- 9.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Lexi Donarski (Gr. Guard)- 9.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Norfolk State
Diamond Johnson (Sr. Guard)- 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists
Kierra Wheeler (Sr. Forward)- 15.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Anjanae Richardson (So. Guard)- 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Continue doing what you're doing.
While it may sound simple or cliche, what has worked for the Tar Heels is simply the key to success. It starts on the defensive end, as North Carolina has arguably been one of the best defensive teams in the country. That effort has translated to the offensive side of the court, as the Tar Heels have been able to get contributions from not only the starting unit but the bench as well.
If the Tar Heels can continue doing what they have for the majority of the early season, more success should be on the horizon for this talented group.
Something to Watch For
Lanie Grant is coming off arguably her best performance of her young UNC women's basketball career, as she finished with 13 points and four rebounds to go along with two steals in the team's victory over Florida.
Over the last four games, Grant is averaging just under 17 minutes per-game. As she continues to show that she's more than ready a bigger role, it begs the question: is a move into the starting lineup something that could happen soon?
It's a great problem for Courtney Banghart and crew to have, given they can keep things the way they are (which is working) or can mix and match as the season goes along to see if a starting unit with Grant included is a better mix moving forward.
Projected Starters
No. 1 Alyssa Ustby (Gr. 6'1)
No. 5 Maria Gakdeng (Sr. 6'3)
No. 10 Reniya Kelly (So. 5'7)
No. 20 Lexi Donarski (Gr. 6'0)
No. 24 Indya Nivar (Jr. 5'10)