University of North Carolina Athletics
On the heels of a win over NC State on Thursday, the Tar Heels travel to face No. 11 FSU on Sunday.
Photo by: Dana Gentry
UNC Set For Second Highly-Ranked Opponent In Four-Day Span
January 11, 2020 | Women's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On the heels of its first win over a ranked team this season, the North Carolina women's basketball team hits the road to face another. UNC will take on No. 11 Florida State on Sunday at 2 p.m. on the Seminoles' home court at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
The Tar Heels are coming off a 66-60 win Thursday at home over previously-unbeaten NC State, ranked No. 9. After the FSU game, they'll play their next two games at home, hosting Miami on Jan. 16 and No. 7 Louisville on Jan. 19.
By the Numbers
• All five UNC starters are averaging in double figures, led by Janelle Bailey with 14.3 ppg.
• UNC leads the ACC in assist/turnover ratio (1.30). The Tar Heels rank second in scoring, scoring margin and turnover margin.
• Freshman Malu Tshitenge leads the league in offensive rebounding (4.67 per game) and senior Shayla Bennett is the ACC leader in assist/turnover ratio (2.14).
• Two Tar Heels are among the ACC's top nine in free throw percentage with Janelle Bailey in fifth (.765) and Madinah Muhammad in ninth (.738). Bennett leads the team with a free throw percentage of .795 but has fallen below the league minimum of 2.5 makes per game. (She's at 2.33.)
Notable
• In ACC games only, UNC leads the conference in rebounding margin at +4.5 and defensive rebounding percentage at .783. The Tar Heels have outrebounded three of their four conference opponents this season.
• The NC State game is the first time this season that UNC has trailed at the half and come back to win. The Tar Heels were down by 10 (38-28) at halftime. UNC had trailed at the break on just two other occasions this season (Yale, Virginia Tech) and lost both games.
• UNC hasn't lost this season when shooting 40 percent or better from the field.
• Senior point guard Shayla Bennett has played all 40 minutes in the past two games (Virginia Tech, NC State).
• The NC State game marked the largest UNC deficit in a win this season. The Tar Heels trailed by 14 in the second quarter.
UNC vs. FSU
Sunday's game is the 48th meeting in a series that dates back to the 1981-82 season. Although UNC leads the series overall, 33-14, FSU has held the edge in recent years, winning four in a row and five of the past seven.
• UNC last beat Florida State in 2015 and last won in Tallahassee in 2014.
• FSU won last year's meeting, 64-63 in Chapel Hill on Jan. 6, 2019. It was the second game of the ACC season for both teams.
• Three Tar Heels who started that game – Janelle Bailey, Shayla Bennett and Taylor Koenen – are expected to start for UNC on Sunday.
Scouting the Seminoles
FSU is 14-2 overall and 3-2 in ACC play following a 67-52 homecourt loss to Georgia Tech on Thursday. The Seminoles won their first 13 games of the season before falling in overtime at Syracuse on Jan. 2. They then won at Miami before falling to Georgia Tech.
• FSU is 4-0 this season against top-25 teams.
• Three Seminoles are averaging double-figure points per game this season. Kiah Gillesplie leads the team with 15.8 points per game, and Nausia Woolfolk is just behind at 15.4. Nicki Ekhomu averages 13.8. Gillespie also leads the team in rebounding with 8.9 per game.
• As a team, FSU is averaging 77.2 points per game and allowing 58.1 for a scoring margin of +18.1.
The Tar Heels are coming off a 66-60 win Thursday at home over previously-unbeaten NC State, ranked No. 9. After the FSU game, they'll play their next two games at home, hosting Miami on Jan. 16 and No. 7 Louisville on Jan. 19.
By the Numbers
• All five UNC starters are averaging in double figures, led by Janelle Bailey with 14.3 ppg.
• UNC leads the ACC in assist/turnover ratio (1.30). The Tar Heels rank second in scoring, scoring margin and turnover margin.
• Freshman Malu Tshitenge leads the league in offensive rebounding (4.67 per game) and senior Shayla Bennett is the ACC leader in assist/turnover ratio (2.14).
• Two Tar Heels are among the ACC's top nine in free throw percentage with Janelle Bailey in fifth (.765) and Madinah Muhammad in ninth (.738). Bennett leads the team with a free throw percentage of .795 but has fallen below the league minimum of 2.5 makes per game. (She's at 2.33.)
Notable
• In ACC games only, UNC leads the conference in rebounding margin at +4.5 and defensive rebounding percentage at .783. The Tar Heels have outrebounded three of their four conference opponents this season.
• The NC State game is the first time this season that UNC has trailed at the half and come back to win. The Tar Heels were down by 10 (38-28) at halftime. UNC had trailed at the break on just two other occasions this season (Yale, Virginia Tech) and lost both games.
• UNC hasn't lost this season when shooting 40 percent or better from the field.
• Senior point guard Shayla Bennett has played all 40 minutes in the past two games (Virginia Tech, NC State).
• The NC State game marked the largest UNC deficit in a win this season. The Tar Heels trailed by 14 in the second quarter.
UNC vs. FSU
Sunday's game is the 48th meeting in a series that dates back to the 1981-82 season. Although UNC leads the series overall, 33-14, FSU has held the edge in recent years, winning four in a row and five of the past seven.
• UNC last beat Florida State in 2015 and last won in Tallahassee in 2014.
• FSU won last year's meeting, 64-63 in Chapel Hill on Jan. 6, 2019. It was the second game of the ACC season for both teams.
• Three Tar Heels who started that game – Janelle Bailey, Shayla Bennett and Taylor Koenen – are expected to start for UNC on Sunday.
Scouting the Seminoles
FSU is 14-2 overall and 3-2 in ACC play following a 67-52 homecourt loss to Georgia Tech on Thursday. The Seminoles won their first 13 games of the season before falling in overtime at Syracuse on Jan. 2. They then won at Miami before falling to Georgia Tech.
• FSU is 4-0 this season against top-25 teams.
• Three Seminoles are averaging double-figure points per game this season. Kiah Gillesplie leads the team with 15.8 points per game, and Nausia Woolfolk is just behind at 15.4. Nicki Ekhomu averages 13.8. Gillespie also leads the team in rebounding with 8.9 per game.
• As a team, FSU is averaging 77.2 points per game and allowing 58.1 for a scoring margin of +18.1.
Players Mentioned
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