Carmichael Comments: Bouncing Our Way

If you tried to find a broader pendulum swing of emotion, luck, and tension between two college basketball games, good luck searching for two better games to compare than the Carolina women's basketball team's pair of contests last week. On Thursday, a jumper from eventual ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley beat the buzzer in Carmichael Arena and gave Virginia Tech a 61-59 win. That win marked Tech's fourth straight over Carolina, but remarkably, each of the last three meetings have come down to the final play of regulation. Senior Night went on (more on that below), but yet another feeling of "coulda, woulda, shoulda" hung over Carmichael Arena.

Three days later, the emotion flipped. Playing 10 miles up the street at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Carolina found itself locked in another tight game – this one much more low scoring with the teams sitting at a 38-38 deadlock and less than 2:30 to go. What followed was a 7-3 Carolina run, keyed by a perfect shooting stretch from both the floor and foul line, a forced turnover on the defensive end, and a handful of missed Duke shots. Carolina prevailed 45-41, a Tar Heel victory that marked a sixth top 25 win of the season, and third away from the friendly confines of Carmichael Arena.

"We've lost all these close ones all year long, and late in the year we had a chance to beat a top 15 team on the road," Banghart reflected. "We know that Carolina-Duke matters. It was a tough, gritty battle."

Some within the program and around the ACC point to last season's win over Louisville as the night when the Tar Heels "arrived" on the national stage. The 66-65 home win over the No. 3 Cardinals again came down to the final shot, a putback for Louisville that bounced off the rim a few times and tumbled off to preserve the win. That day, gravity, luck, and any other cosmic factors out there favored the Tar Heels. A gritty effort was rewarded, and Carolina had arrived.

Since then, the Tar Heels haven't left. Six top 25 wins in one season speaks for itself, as does the fact that Carolina hasn't been fully healthy for any of that stretch – until now. But even with a 20-9 record (11-7 in the ACC), the small bounces leave you wondering what else could have been. Carolina's average margin of defeat this season is 8.2 points per game. Shrink that down to just ACC games, and it's 6.1 per game. Try finding a game where Carolina lost by double figures in regulation in ACC play, and you won't find said game.

Right around the turn of the calendar, the Tar Heels dropped their first three ACC games by a total of 14 points, and all to teams who finished tied or above them in the ACC standings – Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Miami. Some were left wondering – what needs to happen just to earn a favorable bounce? A stroke of luck?

So when the Tar Heels poured onto the Cameron Indoor Stadium court, running and jumping to find a teammate, coach, or staff member, you'll have to forgive them. Same with the fans who filled the gap between the final horn and the start of Duke's senior ceremony with an impromptu rendition of Hark the Sound. The ball bounded the Tar Heels' way on Sunday. One of the ACC and the nation's toughest teams in this month of March had added the missing piece to its tournament résumé: the gut check signature win in a true road environment. Much like Louisville last season, there's a sense of arrival on the heels of the Duke win. And what a great time to arrive.

"We said 'enough is enough' collectively," Banghart said. "And made enough plays to win the game."

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

Ustby's Return Pays Off vs. Blue Devils
Carolina fans everywhere were overjoyed on Thursday to see Alyssa Ustby warming up and subsequently starting in the Senior Night contest against Virginia Tech. Ustby, one of the most versatile players in the ACC, had missed the last five games with a lower body injury. Her ability to ignite the offensive transition game, cause havoc defensively, and crash the glass was missed in the absence, when the Tar Heels posted a 2-3 record. Banghart was the first to admit that while medically cleared and healthy, Ustby might be a bit rusty for the Virginia Tech game – a fact that proved true with a nine-point, six-rebound game. There were still some signs of rust in Sunday's Duke game, but also spurts in which she carried the team. Duke jumped out to a seven-point lead at 23-16 with 8:44 left in the third, a danger zone just after halftime in a low-scoring game. Ustby responded with a personal 5-0 run to pull Carolina back within two, and the Tar Heels would take the lead as Anya Poole extended the run to 9-0. The calming, steady presence of Ustby was a welcome sight for the Tar Heels in hostile territory.

"She does so much for us on both sides of the ball," Banghart said. "She's still a little rusty, but it's hard to take her out, she does so much. Every day she's with us, she gets a little more comfortable, back into her groove."

Hitting the Free Ones
The closer the game, the more that every single point matters. And when every point matters, free throws become so critical. (Ask a coach, and they're always critical. But you get the point.) On Sunday at Duke, Carolina shot 12-for-15 as a team, and nine of those 12 made charity shots came in the final 3:35 of the game – with zero misses. Deja Kelly was 5-for-5 at the free throw line, and rookie Paulina Paris went 4-for-4. That's not too bad for a first-ever game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

"Making free throws on the road, especially with how hard it was to score, (those were) huge free throws late," Banghart said.

Senior Ceremony
Even after the heartbreak of Thursday's loss against Virginia Tech, Tar Heel fans remained in Carmichael Arena to recognize the senior trio of Eva Hodgson, Ariel Young, and Malu Tshitenge. Each senior was escorted by their family to midcourt, where Coach Banghart presented a framed edition of their game jersey. The emotions were flowing there postgame, but a dedicated and separate celebration allowed the team to truly reflect on what the senior class had meant to the program. On Saturday, less than 24 hours before tip against Duke, players, coaches, families, and more gathered in Kenan Stadium's Blue Zone for an intimate recognition of the senior players and managers. Seniors gave speeches to reflect on their careers, and the junior class also spoke, sharing how they had been impacted by those in the class above. The words of affirmation are especially meaningful for players in the constant spotlight of a social media world, Banghart said.

"Words matter," she explained. "This day and age, so much of it is done through text and on their social media that I'm not sure how often they're actually talking with meaning about each other's journey. I'm glad they did it."

Up Next
Welcome to March. If you're reading this on the day the column launches, it's the first day of the best month of the year to be a basketball fan. Carolina's journey through March begins with the annual ACC Tournament in Greensboro, where the Tar Heels are the No. 7 seed in the event. Carolina will battle No. 10 Clemson (a first-round winner over No. 15 Pittsburgh) when the Tar Heels open the tournament on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. A win would send Carolina onward to a quarterfinal rematch with Duke, the No. 2 seed, on Friday at 6:00 p.m. The potential semifinal game is Saturday at 2:30 p.m., and the championship will be contested on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

The Tar Heel Sports Network will have full coverage of the ACC Tournament, with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show beginning a half hour before each game. Catch each call in full locally on 97.9 FM/1360 AM in the Triangle, or worldwide for free via our THSN streaming platforms: GoHeels.com, the GoHeels app, and the Varsity Network app from Learfield.

In the meantime, check out the latest edition of Holding Court with Courtney Banghart, which is available on the Tar Heel Voices Podcast Channel. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

That's all for now. Go Heels!