Wednesday, November 9
Chapel Hill
7 PM
North Carolina
1-0,0-0ACC
91
vs
59
Jackson State
0-1,0-0SWAC
1
2
3
4
F
Jackson St.
11
9
16
23
59
North Carolina
22
31
18
20
91
Kennedy Todd-Williams scored a career-high 20 points in Wednesday's win.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
WBB Rolls To Season-Opening Win Over Jackson State
November 9, 2022 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 12th-ranked North Carolina women's basketball team opened its season Wednesday night with a 91-59 win over Jackson State that provided both reason for optimism and room for improvement.
Four Tar Heels scored in double figures and UNC shot 57.8 on the night, including a blistering 75.0 in the first quarter against the Tigers, two-time defending SWAC champions who have played in the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two years. UNC junior Kennedy Todd-Williams led all scorers with a career-high 20 points.
"Certainly glad to come out with a win – I thought we were solid in the first half on both ends," said UNC coach Courtney Banghart, who opened her fourth season at UNC. "A lot less solid in the second half on both ends. We'll take it – that's one. We'll be better on Saturday."
Next up for the Tar Heels is a Saturday home game against TCU. Tipoff at Carmichael Arena is 1 p.m.
In addition to Todd-Williams' big night, junior Alyssa Ustby turned in a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes on the court. She hit nine of 10 shots (her only miss was a three) and tied her career high in blocks with three while also handing out five assists.
Senior Eva Hodgson, making her first start as a Tar Heel after playing a major role last season as the team's so-called "sixth starter", scored 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting and added six rebounds and five assists. She was 5-for-6 from the field
Paulina Paris, the team's lone newcomer, scored 13 points in her collegiate debut.
UNC started hot and never trailed, hitting five of the season's first six shots. Hodgson made good on the team's first three-point attempt of the season to boost the lead to 14-8 with 3:13 to play in the first quarter. The teams had been tied 7-7 after JSU's Jariyah Covington hit a three-pointer five minutes into the action, but the Tar Heels started pull away after that and outscored the visitors 15-4 over the rest of the quarter.
All seven Tar Heels who saw action in the first quarter scored, with Paris capping the period with a layup to make it 22-11.
The Tar Heels maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second quarter, leading 53-20 at halftime.
Todd-Williams opened the third quarter with back-to-back threes and Carolina stretched its lead to 41 midway through the third quarter. The Tar Heels didn't score for the last 3:25 of the third quarter while JSU went on a 6-0 run to cut the margin to 34. Carolina's shooting percentage dipped to 44.4 percent in that period and they finished at 57.8 percent for the game.
UNC won the rebounding battle 43-35, with four Tar Heels grabbing six or more. After Ustby's 10, Todd-Williams had nine and Hodgson and sophomore Destiny Adams had six each.
Adams brought a spark off the bench with eight points on 4-6 shooting and a career-high four steals.
The Tar Heels got 22 points off turnovers and scored 20 on fast breaks.
Four Tar Heels scored in double figures and UNC shot 57.8 on the night, including a blistering 75.0 in the first quarter against the Tigers, two-time defending SWAC champions who have played in the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two years. UNC junior Kennedy Todd-Williams led all scorers with a career-high 20 points.
"Certainly glad to come out with a win – I thought we were solid in the first half on both ends," said UNC coach Courtney Banghart, who opened her fourth season at UNC. "A lot less solid in the second half on both ends. We'll take it – that's one. We'll be better on Saturday."
Next up for the Tar Heels is a Saturday home game against TCU. Tipoff at Carmichael Arena is 1 p.m.
In addition to Todd-Williams' big night, junior Alyssa Ustby turned in a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes on the court. She hit nine of 10 shots (her only miss was a three) and tied her career high in blocks with three while also handing out five assists.
Senior Eva Hodgson, making her first start as a Tar Heel after playing a major role last season as the team's so-called "sixth starter", scored 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting and added six rebounds and five assists. She was 5-for-6 from the field
Paulina Paris, the team's lone newcomer, scored 13 points in her collegiate debut.
UNC started hot and never trailed, hitting five of the season's first six shots. Hodgson made good on the team's first three-point attempt of the season to boost the lead to 14-8 with 3:13 to play in the first quarter. The teams had been tied 7-7 after JSU's Jariyah Covington hit a three-pointer five minutes into the action, but the Tar Heels started pull away after that and outscored the visitors 15-4 over the rest of the quarter.
All seven Tar Heels who saw action in the first quarter scored, with Paris capping the period with a layup to make it 22-11.
The Tar Heels maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second quarter, leading 53-20 at halftime.
Todd-Williams opened the third quarter with back-to-back threes and Carolina stretched its lead to 41 midway through the third quarter. The Tar Heels didn't score for the last 3:25 of the third quarter while JSU went on a 6-0 run to cut the margin to 34. Carolina's shooting percentage dipped to 44.4 percent in that period and they finished at 57.8 percent for the game.
UNC won the rebounding battle 43-35, with four Tar Heels grabbing six or more. After Ustby's 10, Todd-Williams had nine and Hodgson and sophomore Destiny Adams had six each.
Adams brought a spark off the bench with eight points on 4-6 shooting and a career-high four steals.
The Tar Heels got 22 points off turnovers and scored 20 on fast breaks.
Team Stats
JSU
UNC
FG%
.338
.578
3FG%
.353
.350
FT%
.529
.455
RB
35
43
TO
20
16
STL
4
16
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
19
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
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