Tar Heels Host No. 1 South Carolina Thursday In WBB ACC/SEC Challenge

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina women's basketball team will host a top-ranked opponent for the first time since 2019 on Thursday when No. 1 South Carolina visits Carmichael Arena for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The game is part of the 2023 ACC/SEC Women's Basketball Challenge presented by Dixie Ultra. Tickets are sold out.

UNC is ranked 24^th this week and comes into the game 5-2 overall following a pair of losses last weekend at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. South Carolina is undefeated at 5-0.

The game will air live on ESPN. Fans are encouraged to wear Carolina blue to create a "Blue Out" at Carmichael.

In a Carmichael first, the Tip Off Club will be open on the Dorrance Field concourse from 5-7 p.m., with food and drink available for purchase.

Inside Carmichael, fans will find blue pom-poms on every seat, and Red Panda will perform at halftime.

The sellout is UNC's second in the past year, following a capacity crowd for the Tar Heels' win over NC State on Jan. 15^th.

The game is the first of back-to-back home contests for Carolina, which will host UNCG on Dec. 6.

Heels vs. Gamecocks
The Tar Heels and Gamecocks will face off Thursday for the 21st time in program history.
• The teams last met in the 2022 Sweet 16 in Greensboro, N.C., with South Carolina winning 69-61 on its way to that year's NCAA Championship.
• The last 12 meetings have taken place at neutral sites. This is the first homecourt matchup since the 1988-89 season, when the teams met in Columbia, S.C., with South Carolina winning 98-71.
• The past three meetings (2014, 2015, 2022) have been in the NCAA Sweet 16.

Tar Heels vs. No. 1
• UNC is 3-27 all-time vs. AP No. 1 ranked teams.
• South Carolina was the last top-ranked team the Tar Heels have played, in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The two met in Greensboro, N.C., in a Sweet 16 game, with No. 1 South Carolina beating No. 17 UNC 69-61 on the way to that year's national championship.
• UNC last hosted an opponent ranked No. 1 in the AP poll during the 2018-19 season. On Jan. 27, 2019, the unranked tar Heels upset Notre Dame 78-73 at Carmichael Arena. Paris Kea led Carolina with 30 points and 10 assists as the team improved to 12-9 on the season.

Tar Heels Host No. 1 South Carolina Thursday In WBB ACC/SEC Challenge

Next Event

Related Videos