University of North Carolina Athletics
Thursday, November 7
Chapel Hill, N.C.
6 PM
North Carolina
92
vs
55
Western Carolina
Dressed in No. 1 jerseys to commemorate her first Carolina win, Banghart and her players sing Hark the Sound with the UNC band.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Tar Heels Win Big In Banghart's First Game on the Bench
November 7, 2019 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – With four starters in double figures, the North Carolina women's basketball team opened the 2019-20 season with a win Thursday, beating Western Carolina 92-55 at Carmichael Arena.
"It's good to get out there and finally play against somebody else," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "I thought there were some bright spots and there's obviously going to be room for growth as we continue to try to get a little bit tougher and grittier on the defensive end. But offensively, we put up 92 points. This is a team that can score – it's a matter of getting a little bit grittier on the defense end."
Junior Janelle Bailey led the Tar Heels (1-0) with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Malu Tshitenge, in her first game in a Carolina jersey, scored 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field. Senior Taylor Koenen scored 17 points and added nine rebounds and five assists. Senior Shayla Bennett scored 17 points to go with eight rebounds and a team-high six assists.
Jewel Smalls scored 23 to lead the Catamounts (1-1).
The win was the first at UNC for Banghart, and her players celebrated her on the court after the win, presenting her with a No. 1 Carolina jersey.
"I really have heartfelt gratitude for what the Athletic Department did for me after the game," said Banghart, who was congratulated by administrators including Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham in person and by UNC men's basketball coach Roy Williams via a message that played on the videoboard. "This is about [the players], but I certainly appreciate the sentiment."
Next up for UNC is another home game, this one on Monday at 7 p.m. against Navy.
Against WCU, the Tar Heels got rolling and pulled away in the second half of the game, outscoring the Catamounts 49-26 after the break. The much taller Tar Heels outrebounded WCU 43-31 and forced 22 turnovers while committing only 10.
"It's good to get out there and finally play against somebody else," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "I thought there were some bright spots and there's obviously going to be room for growth as we continue to try to get a little bit tougher and grittier on the defensive end. But offensively, we put up 92 points. This is a team that can score – it's a matter of getting a little bit grittier on the defense end."
Junior Janelle Bailey led the Tar Heels (1-0) with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Malu Tshitenge, in her first game in a Carolina jersey, scored 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field. Senior Taylor Koenen scored 17 points and added nine rebounds and five assists. Senior Shayla Bennett scored 17 points to go with eight rebounds and a team-high six assists.
Jewel Smalls scored 23 to lead the Catamounts (1-1).
The win was the first at UNC for Banghart, and her players celebrated her on the court after the win, presenting her with a No. 1 Carolina jersey.
"I really have heartfelt gratitude for what the Athletic Department did for me after the game," said Banghart, who was congratulated by administrators including Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham in person and by UNC men's basketball coach Roy Williams via a message that played on the videoboard. "This is about [the players], but I certainly appreciate the sentiment."
Next up for UNC is another home game, this one on Monday at 7 p.m. against Navy.
Against WCU, the Tar Heels got rolling and pulled away in the second half of the game, outscoring the Catamounts 49-26 after the break. The much taller Tar Heels outrebounded WCU 43-31 and forced 22 turnovers while committing only 10.
Starting the season off right 💪
Great team win 💯
📽️ HIGHLIGHTS: ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/TNOcvVCnU0
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 8, 2019
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