WBB Tops 100 In Season-Opening Win

Wednesday, November 8

Chapel Hill

7 PM

North Carolina

1-0,0-0ACC

102

Gardner-Webb

0-1,0-0Big South

Gardner-Webb

North Carolina

102

Indya Nivar finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds in her Tar Heel debut on Wednesday.

Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH

November 8, 2023 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina opened the 2023-24 season Wednesday night with an exclamation point, beating Gardner-Webb 102-49 in a women's basketball matchup at Carmichael Arena.

Six players hit double figures for the No. 16 Tar Heels, who are back in action on Sunday with another home game against an in-state opponent, hosting Davidson at 6 p.m.

"You could see that there's a lot to be excited about here and I'm glad to finally be able to share it," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said afterward, discussing her fifth squad at UNC, which includes seven returners and eight newcomers. "This is a group that has depth and pieces and stars, and the new pieces have been great, the returners have gotten better."

Indya Nivar, a sophomore transfer from Stanford, came off the bench for a double-double, scoring a team-high 17 points – including a three from beyond halfcourt at the first-quarter buzzer – to go with 11 rebounds. Both were career highs for Nivar, who is from nearby Apex, N.C., in 23 minutes of play.

INDYA NIVAR FROM HALF COURT 😮‍💨 @uncwbb pic.twitter.com/ZRirrbzHn9
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 9, 2023

Sophomore guard Paulina Paris scored 15 points in a team-high 31 minutes of play. She handed out five assists, one shy of her career high.

Senior Deja Kelly hit the team's first bucket of the season, a jumper 57 seconds into the action, and finished with 14 points – including 5-6 shooting from the free throw line – in 22 minutes of play.

DK jumper for our first points of the season 👏👏👏 Tune in now on ACCNX: https://t.co/nr5fPCrdA3#GoHeels | @dejakelly25 pic.twitter.com/vTHoQmuAvF
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 9, 2023

Graduate student Lexi Donarski, making her UNC debut after transferring from Iowa State, finished with 14 points, including four three-pointers, all in the third quarter.

Senior Alyssa Ustby registered her 23^rd career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds and also tied her career high with six assists.

Junior Maria Gakdeng, another transfer, finished with 13 points.

The Tar Heels topped 100 for the first time since a 107-46 win over UNC Asheville early in the 2021-22 season and outrebounded the Runnin' Bulldogs 52-33.

Micahla Funderburk scored 16 points, including four three-pointers, to lead Gardner-Webb, and Ashley Hawkins added 14. The team went a perfect 14-14 from the foul line with Hawkins leading the way at 6-6.