Deja Kelly had seven assists and just one turnover on Thursday against Oregon.
Photo by: Faith Varga
'Collective Toughness' Keys WBB Win Over Oregon
November 26, 2022 | Women's Basketball
PORTLAND, Ore. – The box score from Thursday's win over No. 18 Oregon contained plenty of good news for the UNC women's basketball team, but perhaps the biggest takeaway was something hard to quantify: a season high in grit.
The Tar Heels led for only 5:43 of the game's 40 minutes and that total included the last 5:12 of the game. UNC was ahead only briefly in the first and third quarters and never in the second, trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half and by 11 with 6:28 to play in the third.
Yet if the Tar Heels were down, they were never out, emerging with a win in the season's first matchup with another ranked team, edging the Ducks 85-79 to improve to 5-0.
"This group really stuck together and showed collective toughness, not just individual toughness," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said afterward.
It took a team effort to beat the Ducks. Senior Eva Hodgson had the standout performance, with a UNC-best 21 points (she once scored 34 while playing at William & Mary) and 5-7 shooting from three-point range, but every Tar Heel starter hit double figures in scoring. Additionally, five players had four or more rebounds and four players had three or more assists.
The experience is sure to be a valuable one. The Tar Heels started the season with three lopsided wins at home before this stretch of four straight on the road. First was a game at James Madison last Sunday in which UNC trailed at halftime but pulled ahead in the third quarter and won by 11.
A key stat for the Tar Heels on Thursday was turnovers – they forced Oregon into 18 and got 17 points off of them. At the same time UNC gave the ball away just eight times, equal to the team's season low (also vs. an overmatched South Carolina State team). Junior Deja Kelly was a huge part of that as she turned the ball over just once in her 38:50 on the court, while handing out seven assists, equal to her season high and one short of her career best.
"With the ball in my hands a lot, I definitely take pride in taking care of it, trying to keep the team together and make sure I handle the ball well," Kelly said.
"I give DK a ton of credit," Banghart said of Kelly. "One of the goals she has this year is just to be a better facilitator with the ball in her hands and I thought she managed the end of that game really well."
The Tar Heels will take on No. 5 Iowa State on Sunday for the Phil Knight Invitational championship. A win would be the fourth top-10 victory for Carolina under Banghart. The Tar Heels have beaten a top-10 team in each of the three previous seasons, but this is the first time under Banghart they themselves have been ranked in the top 10.
After Sunday's neutral-site game, Carolina will take on another top-10 team, this time on its home court, playing No. 6 Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., on Thursday. The Tar Heels will need to pack their grit for that one, too, and get used to the fact that, as a top-10 team, every opponent will bring its best.
"As we tell these guys, that's why they came here," Banghart said. "They came here to play in these types of environments and these types of games."
The Tar Heels led for only 5:43 of the game's 40 minutes and that total included the last 5:12 of the game. UNC was ahead only briefly in the first and third quarters and never in the second, trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half and by 11 with 6:28 to play in the third.
Yet if the Tar Heels were down, they were never out, emerging with a win in the season's first matchup with another ranked team, edging the Ducks 85-79 to improve to 5-0.
"This group really stuck together and showed collective toughness, not just individual toughness," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said afterward.
It took a team effort to beat the Ducks. Senior Eva Hodgson had the standout performance, with a UNC-best 21 points (she once scored 34 while playing at William & Mary) and 5-7 shooting from three-point range, but every Tar Heel starter hit double figures in scoring. Additionally, five players had four or more rebounds and four players had three or more assists.
The experience is sure to be a valuable one. The Tar Heels started the season with three lopsided wins at home before this stretch of four straight on the road. First was a game at James Madison last Sunday in which UNC trailed at halftime but pulled ahead in the third quarter and won by 11.
A key stat for the Tar Heels on Thursday was turnovers – they forced Oregon into 18 and got 17 points off of them. At the same time UNC gave the ball away just eight times, equal to the team's season low (also vs. an overmatched South Carolina State team). Junior Deja Kelly was a huge part of that as she turned the ball over just once in her 38:50 on the court, while handing out seven assists, equal to her season high and one short of her career best.
"With the ball in my hands a lot, I definitely take pride in taking care of it, trying to keep the team together and make sure I handle the ball well," Kelly said.
"I give DK a ton of credit," Banghart said of Kelly. "One of the goals she has this year is just to be a better facilitator with the ball in her hands and I thought she managed the end of that game really well."
The Tar Heels will take on No. 5 Iowa State on Sunday for the Phil Knight Invitational championship. A win would be the fourth top-10 victory for Carolina under Banghart. The Tar Heels have beaten a top-10 team in each of the three previous seasons, but this is the first time under Banghart they themselves have been ranked in the top 10.
After Sunday's neutral-site game, Carolina will take on another top-10 team, this time on its home court, playing No. 6 Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., on Thursday. The Tar Heels will need to pack their grit for that one, too, and get used to the fact that, as a top-10 team, every opponent will bring its best.
"As we tell these guys, that's why they came here," Banghart said. "They came here to play in these types of environments and these types of games."
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballUNC Volleyball: Thorpe Sets New Career High in 4-Set Win vs ECU
Sunday, September 21
UNC Field Hockey: Heck's 5 Goals Propel Heels Over Stanford, 8-1
Sunday, September 21
UNC Men's Soccer: Tar Heels Fight for 1-1 Draw vs SMU
Sunday, September 21
UNC Field Hockey: Offense Sends Heels Past Cal, 5-1
Saturday, September 20