Tar Heels Improve to 6-0, Claim Goombay Splash Title

Saturday, November 27

Bimini, Bahamas

Noon

North Carolina

6-0,0-0ACC

Washington

2-3,0-0Pac-12

Washington

North Carolina

November 27, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BIMINI, Bahamas – The North Carolina women's basketball team improved to 6-0 on the season and claimed the 2021 Goombay Splash Championship with a 58-37 win over Washington Saturday afternoon on the island of Bimini.

Tar Heel sophomore Alyssa Ustby was selected as MVP of the event and Deja Kelly was named to the Goombay Splash All-Star Team.

Next up for the Tar Heels is a trip north to face Minnesota on Wednesday night in Big Ten/ACC Challenge play.

The 58 points marked UNC's lowest scoring game of the season and it was also the first time that fewer than four Tar Heels have scored in double figures. But with a lower-scoring game, the Carolina defense stole the headlines, allowing just 37 points, second lowest of the season by a UNC opponent. The Tar Heels forced two shot clock violations in the first quarter to set the tone for the game and Washington shot just 28 percent (14-50) on the day.

"As we say, 'defense travels' and it traveled well for us this week," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said.

Junior Eva Hodgson scored 15, her high as a Tar Heel, in 28 minutes of play off the bench to lead the UNC offensive effort. Kelly added 11, scoring in double figures for the sixth time in as many games this season. Ustby and Kennedy Todd-Williams finished with nine points each and Anya Poole had eight.

Poole, Ustby and Todd-Williams had nine rebounds each to lead the way on the boards as UNC outrebounded the Huskies 35-25.

No Washington player reached double figures. Alexis Griggsby led the Huskies in scoring with eight points.

After a slow start by both teams, UNC led 18-9 after the first quarter, marking the sixth time in as many games that the Tar Heels have held their opponent to single-digit scoring in the first period.

Eventually, the Carolina offense got rolling as well and the Tar Heels led 32-13 at halftime, with back-to-back layups by Todd-Williams and Hodgson ending the quarter for Carolina. Poole scored all eight of her points in the first half and had six rebounds as well.

After scoring just four points in the second quarter, Washington opened the third with an 8-0 run to cut the UNC margin to 32-21 with four minutes to play in the quarter, but the Tar Heels put together a run of their own, outscoring the Huskies 14-2 over the next four minutes to end the quarter with a 46-23 advantage.

The Tar Heels stretched their lead to 29, the largest of the game, midway through the fourth quarter before the Huskies closed late for the final 21-point margin.

The Tar Heels are 6-0 for the second time in Banghart's three years in Chapel Hill and the 19^th time in program history following the two wins in Bimini this week. (UNC beat VCU 72-59 on Friday in UNC's first game of the event.)

"The first game here we had to play against a very guard-dominant, high-octane offense," Banghart said of the VCU win. "Lots of 1-v-1, so we ended up having to go really small for the first time. And then this game Washington had such great size at all spots and we had to be more disruptive at the point of the ball. So, we had to win in two different ways.

"We talk about trying to get 'week sweeps' and now we've gotten three of them, with another big week coming up. This team has stayed humble but hungry and those are two qualities that, if they can stay in those lanes, this could be a really great year for them."

Support from all sides
Hodgson came off the bench to average 14.5 points in the two games, setting (14 on Friday) and then resetting (15 on Saturday) her high score as a Tar Heel. Saturday she was 5-9 from the field including 2-4 from 3-point range.

Banghart appreciated what that said about her team's depth, as well as its make-up. "It speaks to a true team – when your name is called, you're ready," she said. "I thought Malu (Tshitenge) also had a really good game the first game. You're a true team if when we need you, you're there for us. Eva was huge all weekend.

All-Stars
Ustby and Kelly were two of the five players honored as part of the Goombay Splash All-Star Team, with Ustby selected as MVP. Ustby equaled her career high with 23 points on Friday and finished the two games averaging 16 points and 9.5 rebounds. Kelly scored 15 on Friday and averaged 13 points in the event.

"They were just a steady presence," Banghart said. "Lys's numbers in the first game speak for themselves in terms of her motor and just her efficiency in a lot of ways, on both sides of the ball. For both of them, their presence was so consistent. When we needed a basket or a defensive stop or a rebound, or we just needed a calming feature, both of them brought that."