Carmichael Comments: Exam Time

Carmichael Comments: Inside Carolina Women's Basketball
Vol. 2, Edition 6: Exam Time
By: Matt Krause
@MattKrausePxP

Athletes and coaches are creatures of routine. Habits are formed as a new season unfolds — practice, film study, weight training, games, and more — all structured around the rhythm of classes and homework.

So when the semester draws to a close and exam time arrives, the changing routine can threaten the flow of the basketball season. It's a challenge that is welcomed and embraced at the University of North Carolina, and one that head coach Courtney Banghart understands and appreciates coming from another elite academic institution in Princeton.

"You come to North Carolina because you want to be a true student-athlete," Banghart said. "You can't run from that during certain parts of the semester. These are true student-athletes playing college basketball during exams. That's what they signed up for."

Ah yes, playing college basketball during exams. In that regard, the Tar Heels were able to handle the change in routine and pass their first two tests of the week with high marks. Carolina throttled Illinois 85-60 on Thursday night to claim a Big Ten/ACC Challenge win, then followed it up by improving to 8-0 with a 92-53 romp over North Carolina Central on Sunday.

In the days leading up to each game, the Tar Heels changed around some regular practice times to better accommodate tutoring sessions for players, and added an off day on Friday.

"We gave them off Friday after the Illinois game to get a lot of their work in," Banghart explained. "Then (Saturday) was the important prep day."

Perhaps only having one day of serious prep for the Eagles contributed to a slower-than-normal start for Carolina, whose 22-14 lead after the first quarter was only the fourth single-digit lead the Tar Heels have held after 10 minutes this season.

"We knew it's exam week so it would take some time to adjust to the game," Banghart remarked after Carolina's 39-point win. "But I thought the second-half effort was better than the first."

For the record, Carolina outscored NC Central 52-25 in that second half, and held the Eagles to 9-for-25 shooting (36%). Test passed, indeed.

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

Multiple Choices

Keeping with the test-taking theme, Carolina continued to display its balance and versatility offensively this week. The Illinois game marked the third contest (Charleston Southern, Missouri) this season in which the Tar Heels saw five players reach double figure scoring, and Taylor Koenen established a new career high in scoring with 23 points against the Fighting Illini, while Leah Church chipped in a season-best 13.

Just a week removed from a Mexico trip where the Tar Heels did not record a single bench point, all 10 healthy Carolina players scored at least one marker against NC Central. Though only three players reached double figures, two highlights off the bench included Emily Sullivan's season-high nine points and Liz Roberts' free throw in the waning seconds for her first point of the season. After the buzzer, the Tar Heels surrounded the Chapel Hill native to celebrate her first point since receiving a scholarship in September.

Malu's Free Throw Improvement

Malu Tshitenge has dazzled with her post play in her first season in a Carolina uniform, but has been working to improve upon her free throw shooting, which sat at 54% (15-for-28) into Sunday's game. With NC Central desperately trying to negate her size advantage, Tshitenge earned a team-best 10 free throw attempts on Sunday, knocking down eight of them.

"I was going to say something at halftime, but sometimes, like a no-hitter in baseball, it's best to just stay away, so I stayed away," Banghart said. "Eight-for-10. We'll take it."

Up Next

With the end-of-semester exams in full swing, Carolina will not take the floor in game action again until Sunday, Dec. 15. When the Tar Heels return to action, they'll be a true road team for the first time this season, visiting the SEC's Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama sits 6-3 on the season, including a 67-54 road win at fellow ACC member Clemson on Nov. 12. With a win, Carolina will match its best start since 2014 at 9-0. Tip time is set for 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. in Tuscaloosa) on Sunday. Our coverage on the Tar Heel Sports Network begins at 2:30 p.m. ET with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show. Catch the call on TuneIn (search "North Carolina Tar Heels"), on GoHeels.com, or the GoHeels app.

That's all for now! Go Heels!

-Matt