Wednesday, March 4
Greensboro, N.C.
1:00 PM
North Carolina
16-14,7-11ACC
73
vs
83
Wake Forest (ACC Tournament)
15-15,7-11ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Wake Forest
20
17
24
22
83
North Carolina
17
18
21
17
73
Senior guard Shayla Bennett tied her career high with 26 points in her final UNC game.
Photo by: Dana Gentry
ACC Tournament Loss Ends Season for UNC
March 4, 2020 | Women's Basketball
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina's stay at the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Basketball Tournament ended way too quickly for the Tar Heels and first-year head coach Courtney Banghart. As the No. 12 seed, UNC played in the opening game of the tournament and was the first team eliminated, falling Wednesday afternoon to No. 13 seed Wake Forest 83-73 at the Greensboro Coliseum.
"My goal will be to get here later next year and stay longer, but for the day I was here it was impressive," Banghart said after the game. "I want to thank the Greensboro people across the board – this event is totally first class. It was fun for me as a first-timer. What pride I have to represent North Carolina in an event like this that loves basketball."
The Tar Heels finish Banghart's first season in Chapel Hill 16-14. UNC was 16-6 before dropping its final eight games, with the team's last win coming just over a month ago, on Feb. 2.
Early in Wednesday's game, it looked like the Tar Heels might break that streak against the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest beat Carolina by three in overtime a week and a half ago, and UNC got off to a fast start in the postseason matchup in an effort to even the score. Tar Heel junior Janelle Bailey, who missed the last three games of the regular season – including the WFU game – with an injury, returned to the starting lineup, and UNC jumped out to a 4-0 lead on buckets by senior guard Taylor Koenen and Bailey. The Tar Heels were up by six, 11-5, just over four minutes into the game.
Wake took the lead, its first of the game, with 3:48 to play in the period on a three by junior forward Ivana Raca, who would finish with 27 poinst, the second-highest total scored against the Tar Heels this season. The Demon Deacons held onto the advantage for the rest of the half and were ahead 37-35 at halftime. UNC shot 50 percent (14-28) in the first half, hitting 50 percent or better in a half for the first time since the team's win over Clemson on Feb. 2.
In the third quarter, Wake stretched its advantage to six before the Tar Heels went on a 9-2 run to take a one-point lead, 44-43, on a three-pointer by senior Madinah Muhammad with 5:57 remaining in the period. There were seven more lead changes in the back-and-forth quarter before Wake pulled ahead and led by five, 61-56, heading into the fourth.
The Tar Heels scored first, on a layup by Muhammad, to make it 61-58, but Wake then went on a 10-0 run to go up by 13. Senior Shayla Bennett hit a three to get UNC back within 10, but the Tar Heels never got closer. Wake's largest lead of the game was 18 with 5:01 to play.
"Hats off to Wake Forest," Banghart said. "(Raca) was just a warrior tonight in all 40 minutes. She gave us a real fit, and I also want to give a real shout out to our group because they just kept battling."
Bennett matched her career high for scoring with 26 points and also had a team-high seven assists in her final game in a Tar Heel uniform. Koenen, who played every minute before fouling out with 5:37 to play, scored 19 points to finish her UNC career with a total of 1,214 points, which ranks 31st in program history. "I'm proud of our fight," said Koenen, the team captain. "Obviously it didn't end the way we wanted it to but I like our fight. We didn't give up."
Muhammad added 13 points and hit a team-high three three-pointers.
Wake outrebounded UNC 47-22 and held a 32-4 advantage in second chance points.
The total rebounds were a season low for Carolina and the offensive rebounds (five, to Wake's 20) tied the Tar Heels' previous low. UNC freshman Malu Tshitenge had averaged almost that many by herself, leading the ACC with 4.2 offensive rebounds per game coming into the tournament. She finished the day with nine points and five rebounds, two of them offensive.
UNC is now 62-33 all-time in ACC Tournament games, 4-3 in first-round games.
"My goal will be to get here later next year and stay longer, but for the day I was here it was impressive," Banghart said after the game. "I want to thank the Greensboro people across the board – this event is totally first class. It was fun for me as a first-timer. What pride I have to represent North Carolina in an event like this that loves basketball."
The Tar Heels finish Banghart's first season in Chapel Hill 16-14. UNC was 16-6 before dropping its final eight games, with the team's last win coming just over a month ago, on Feb. 2.
Early in Wednesday's game, it looked like the Tar Heels might break that streak against the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest beat Carolina by three in overtime a week and a half ago, and UNC got off to a fast start in the postseason matchup in an effort to even the score. Tar Heel junior Janelle Bailey, who missed the last three games of the regular season – including the WFU game – with an injury, returned to the starting lineup, and UNC jumped out to a 4-0 lead on buckets by senior guard Taylor Koenen and Bailey. The Tar Heels were up by six, 11-5, just over four minutes into the game.
Wake took the lead, its first of the game, with 3:48 to play in the period on a three by junior forward Ivana Raca, who would finish with 27 poinst, the second-highest total scored against the Tar Heels this season. The Demon Deacons held onto the advantage for the rest of the half and were ahead 37-35 at halftime. UNC shot 50 percent (14-28) in the first half, hitting 50 percent or better in a half for the first time since the team's win over Clemson on Feb. 2.
In the third quarter, Wake stretched its advantage to six before the Tar Heels went on a 9-2 run to take a one-point lead, 44-43, on a three-pointer by senior Madinah Muhammad with 5:57 remaining in the period. There were seven more lead changes in the back-and-forth quarter before Wake pulled ahead and led by five, 61-56, heading into the fourth.
The Tar Heels scored first, on a layup by Muhammad, to make it 61-58, but Wake then went on a 10-0 run to go up by 13. Senior Shayla Bennett hit a three to get UNC back within 10, but the Tar Heels never got closer. Wake's largest lead of the game was 18 with 5:01 to play.
"Hats off to Wake Forest," Banghart said. "(Raca) was just a warrior tonight in all 40 minutes. She gave us a real fit, and I also want to give a real shout out to our group because they just kept battling."
Bennett matched her career high for scoring with 26 points and also had a team-high seven assists in her final game in a Tar Heel uniform. Koenen, who played every minute before fouling out with 5:37 to play, scored 19 points to finish her UNC career with a total of 1,214 points, which ranks 31st in program history. "I'm proud of our fight," said Koenen, the team captain. "Obviously it didn't end the way we wanted it to but I like our fight. We didn't give up."
Muhammad added 13 points and hit a team-high three three-pointers.
Wake outrebounded UNC 47-22 and held a 32-4 advantage in second chance points.
The total rebounds were a season low for Carolina and the offensive rebounds (five, to Wake's 20) tied the Tar Heels' previous low. UNC freshman Malu Tshitenge had averaged almost that many by herself, leading the ACC with 4.2 offensive rebounds per game coming into the tournament. She finished the day with nine points and five rebounds, two of them offensive.
UNC is now 62-33 all-time in ACC Tournament games, 4-3 in first-round games.
Team Stats
Wake
UNC
FG%
.446
.441
3FG%
.471
.471
FT%
.739
.867
RB
47
22
TO
14
10
STL
5
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
26
FGM
9
3FGM
3
FTM
5
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
C
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