League Opener Sunday Sends UNC Down To FSU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - North Carolina plays its first true road game of the season by visiting No. 13 Florida State for the ACC opener for both clubs on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. Sunday marks the latest road opener for the Tar Heels since the 2006-07 season.

HOW WE GOT HERE
Carolina, winners of eight of its last nine games, put together a 10-3 record in its non-conference schedule that featured wins over 'Power 5' club's Colorado, Minnesota and Washington. The Tar Heels look for their first win over the Seminoles since the 2014-15 season. Florida State has won the last two head-to-head meetings, including a 90-77 victory in Chapel Hill in January 2017.

Florida State has continued its run as a national-power program in 2017 with a 13-1 record leading into Sunday's league lid-lifter. The lone setback for the Seminoles was an 87-72 loss at then No. 8 Texas on Dec. 17 in Austin. Like Carolina, FSU also has three wins against 'Power 5' opponents - Florida, Iowa and Arizona State.

DON'T BE SURPRISED IF...
This game is played in the 80's with two of the top-4 scoring programs in the ACC. FSU leads the conference in scoring average at 87.1 points per game, while Carolina checks in fourth with 82.0 ppg. Shooting efficiency is also a strength for both clubs as the Seminoles are second (48.8%) and the Tar Heels third (48.6%) in field goal percentage, respectively in the ACC.

GAME INFORMATION
North Carolina (10-3) at #13 Florida State (12-1)
Tallahassee, Florida
Tucker Center
Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017
Tip: 2 p.m.

WHERE TO WATCH
Fans can watch the game on ACC Network Extra, and the ESPN app.

TUNE IN
The radio broadcast with Walter Storholt is available locally in North Carolina on WCHL 97.9 FM and worldwide on GoHeels.com and also on the TuneIn app.

1K CLUB
Sylvia Hatchell won her 1,000th career game with a 79-63 victory over Grambling State on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Hatchell, a 2013 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee, is only the third women's basketball coach in history to reach 1,000 career victories, joining former Tennessee legend Pat Summitt and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer (1,018). Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (1,082) is the only men's coach among Division I basketball coaches to hit the 1,000 mark. Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma got his 1,000th victory later on Tuesday night with a win over Oklahoma.

SERIES HISTORY
Carolina leads 33-12 all-time against Florida State. The Tar Heels have won six of the last nine meetings, but it's a 2-2 split over the last four seasons.

LAST TIME OUT
Kahlia Lawrence scored 39 points to lead Mercer to a come-from-behind, 97-86, victory over North Carolina on Thursday afternoon from Carmichael Arena. Mercer (12-2) won its ninth-straight game by outscoring North Carolina 20-2 over the final four minutes, 33 seconds, and by a 33-8 margin in the fourth quarter to overcome a 16-point deficit alone in the fourth quarter.

Paris Kea led North Carolina (10-3) with 26 points for her 26th double-figure scoring game in a row, while freshman Janelle Bailey posted her fourth double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Jamie Cherry added 14.

KEA STATS
• Paris Kea is having a a phenomenal second season with the Tar Heels, ranking 2nd in the ACC at 20.9 points per game. She is 4th in the ACC with 6.5 assists, 7th with 2.5 steals per game and 5th in field goal percentage (56.0).
• 2nd in the ACC by shooting 48.9 percent from three-point land.
• Only ACC player to score 30 points and have 10 assists in a game this season.
• Kea scored 31 points against South Alabama, one shy of her career high, and handed out a career-high 11 assists against the Jaguars to notch her second career double-double. Scored career-high 33 points vs. Washington (12/17).
• Kea and Asia Durr (UofL) are the lone ACC player with multiple 30+ point scoring games this season.
• Her eight 20-point games is the second most in the league.
• Kea has either made (102) or assisted (84) on 46.6 percent (186-of-399) of Carolina's field goals this season.
• She has scored in double figures in 26 straight games going back to last season.

BAILEY'S BEEN BALLING
• Among ACC freshman, Janelle Bailey ranks first in the league in scoring (15.0 points) and 2nd in rebounding (7.9) per game. She is shooting a robust 53.3 percent from the field, the 15th best mark in the ACC.
• She has earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors three times.
• Bailey had a season-high 25 points against Hartford, and registered 13 rebounds against the Hawks for her third double-double of her rookie season.
• Bailey ranks 7th in the ACC with four double-doubles
• She is 11th in the ACC with 1.5 blocks per game

FASTBREAK POINTS
• Carolina has the top scoring trio of players in the ACC. All three check in in the top-15. Paris Kea is 2nd (20.9), Jaime Cherry is 8th (16.5) and Janelle Bailey is 13th (15.0).
• UNC is shooting 48.6 percent as a team this season, a significant increase from last season's club that averaged 41.4% from the field.
• UNC has the top-3 ACC leaders in minutes per game - Jamie Cherry (37.3), Paris Kea (35.9) and Taylor Koenen with 35.2 mpg.

NEXT UP
Carolina visits Boston College on Thursday, Jan. 4. The game will be televised on the Regional Sports Network, including Fox Sports Carolinas at 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Janelle Bailey

Jamie Cherry

Paris Kea

Taylor Koenen