Carmichael Comments: Second Place

Carmichael Comments: Inside Carolina Women's Basketball

Vol. 2, Edition 7: In Second Place

By: Matt Krause

@MattKrausePxP

The journey for the 2019-20 Carolina women's basketball team under head coach Courtney Banghart is full of firsts. And while an undefeated season is a dream and a goal, you had to figure that a setback was coming. Sunday afternoon in Tuscaloosa, Ala., it arrived. The Alabama Crimson Tide knocked off Carolina 83-77 at Coleman Coliseum, moving Carolina's record from an unblemished 8-0 to a more human 8-1.

Still, when you consider that the Tar Heels had won every game by double digits before the toe-stubbing at the SEC opponent, the loss still exposes some areas of improvement and growth that lie ahead for Carolina. A Tar Heel team that has been forced to overcome the loss of Jaelynn Murray and create depth from within with youth has been able to overcome the one potential hurdle to playing a tight rotation — foul trouble — until Sunday.

With two players (Shayla Bennett and Madinah Muhammad) sitting on three personal fouls by halftime and two more (Janelle Bailey and Taylor Koenen) at two infractions, the Tar Heels were forced to make adjustments.

"It was two teams really hungry and gritty, and we got in too much foul trouble early, which we know is sort of an Achilles heel," Banghart said postgame. "We've got to be careful on that. Some of the fouls were a little bit careless, which forced us to be a little stagnant on defense to stay out of foul trouble."

Alabama took full advantage. The Crimson Tide shot 12-for-20 on two-point field goals in the first half (60%), and 17-for-29 in the second (58.6%). Add it up, and you see 29-for-49, 59.2%, inside the arc. With numbers like that, Alabama blew past Carolina's previous season high in points allowed (69) and handed the Tar Heels their first loss.

"We didn't take care of the defensive end, and as a result, we were in second place today," Banghart said.

Overall, Alabama was an even 50% from the floor at 33-for-66, a number that Banghart and the Tar Heels certainly wish was lower. But when the risk of aggressive defense is more fouls, there's not much you can do.

"They shot 50% from the field because they were taking layups," Banghart said. "Our foul trouble forced us to be a bit less positionally sound and accountable on the defensive end."

Another stat to look at is rebounding — Alabama came in nearly nine boards per game better than their opponents, and while Carolina was even in offensive rebounds at 13-13, the Crimson Tide won the overall rebound margin 42-35.

So it's back to the drawing board for the 8-1 Tar Heels, who know exactly where the biggest areas for growth lie.

"We're going to try to continue to get deeper and get better on the glass," Banghart said. "Those are our two priorities."

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

Playing With Speed

Carolina won the fast break point margin, 11-8, which is a microcosm of what the Tar Heels want to achieve under Banghart to maximize their talents.

"I feel like when we play fast, we're hard to guard because you've got to guard five people," Banghart said.

A 13-2 run in the first quarter pushed Carolina from an 11-3 hole (Alabama's largest lead of the game) to a 16-13 advantage. In the run, the Tar Heels drilled three three-pointers in a minute, with Bailey, Koenen, and Muhammad each connecting on a shot. In a perfect world with a deeper bench, the Tar Heels would try to play that quickly as much as possible. Even so, Banghart understands waves of momentum will be critical for Carolina's success.

"It's hard when you're playing such a short bench to ask them to play fast," she said. "But we know that will be a key for us as we continue throughout the season."

Freshmen Step Up

Unlike Carolina's showdown with Temple in Cancun, when the Tar Heels utilized a six-player rotation and did not receive a single bench point, freshmen played a key role in stabilizing the ship on Sunday in Tuscaloosa. With the veterans in foul trouble, freshman guards Nia Daniel and Kennady Tucker both had to step up and become contributors. The efforts were a bright spot in the eyes of their head coach.

"I thought we got really great minutes from Nia and Kennady on an SEC home floor, so I'm really proud of them," Banghart said.

Daniel played 13 minutes, scoring three points on 3-for-4 free throw shooting, while grabbing three rebounds. Tucker spent 10 minutes on the floor, knocking down one shot for two points and handing out an assist. Additionally, Tucker finished with a +/- of +6, second best on the team behind Madinah Muhammad's +9. While those numbers may not pop off the page the way some of the veterans' do, the experience is a big step forward toward the goal of building depth for the team.

"You hope every minute they get gains experience for them," Banghart said. "They each got about 10 minutes on an SEC floor, so they're 10 minutes better."

Up Next

Carolina will play one final game before Christmas, as the Tar Heels tangle with in-state foe UNCW as part of the Carolinas Challenge in Myrtle Beach on Friday night. The annual contest for the Tar Heels at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center is set for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. Our coverage on the Tar Heel Sports Network begins with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show at 7:00 p.m. Catch the call on WCHL 97.9 FM in the Triangle, or worldwide via GoHeels.com, the GoHeels app, or the TuneIn app (search "North Carolina Tar Heels"). Carolina leads the all-time series with UNCW 3-0, including an 82-55 win in Carmichael Arena last season on Dec. 5, 2018.

In the meantime, we'll have our final edition of Courtney Banghart Live for the calendar year on Monday, Dec. 16 at noon. Join us at the Carolina Club for lunch and discussion on all things Carolina Women's Basketball! The show is open to the public, and parking is available at the Rams Head Deck for $1.75/hour. If you can't join us in person, catch the show on the Tar Heel Voices podcast feed on Tuesday morning, or on air on WCHL 97.9 FM at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday night!

That's all for now. Go Heels!

-Matt