University of North Carolina Athletics
Eva Hodgson and the Tar Heels flew to Columbus on Thursday to prep for Saturday's first-round game.
WBB Arrives In Columbus To Prep For Saturday's Game
March 16, 2023 | Women's Basketball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – March Madness is underway for the UNC women's basketball team.
After a short charter flight from RDU along with the Carolina band and cheerleaders, the Tar Heels landed in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday afternoon and quickly continued their preparation for Saturday's first-round NCAA Tournament game.
They checked into their hotel, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed to the Schottenstein Center on Ohio State's campus. There the team got in 90 minutes of work in the Buckeyes' practice gym.
"Today's practice session was both joyful and purposeful, which is this group to a T," said UNC coach Courtney Banghart, who has the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row. "We're healthy and energized to play after a long layoff. March brings such a coveted opportunity, and we're grateful to be here."
After practice it was back to the hotel for dinner then a return trip to "the Schott" for Thursday evening's First Four game between 11th seeds Purdue and St. John's. The Tar Heel coaches and student-athletes watched the Red Storm pull out a 66-64 win, setting up a first-round meeting with UNC.
Carolina and St. John's will square off on Saturday at 4 p.m. in a game that will air on ESPN. On Friday, the Tar Heels will have the luxury of practicing while finally knowing who their next opponent will be. Additionally, they'll have press conferences and media availability as well as a team dinner out in Columbus as they prepare to open NCAA Tournament play on Saturday.
UNC is making its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance and is one of just seven programs to have been in the field 30 or more times. Freshman Paulina Paris is the only Tar Heel who wasn't part of the team's Sweet 16 run last season, but two others – redshirt freshmen Teonni Key and Kayla McPherson – were sidelined by injuries during the 2022 tournament and also are expected to make their tournament debuts on Saturday.
After a short charter flight from RDU along with the Carolina band and cheerleaders, the Tar Heels landed in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday afternoon and quickly continued their preparation for Saturday's first-round NCAA Tournament game.
They checked into their hotel, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed to the Schottenstein Center on Ohio State's campus. There the team got in 90 minutes of work in the Buckeyes' practice gym.
"Today's practice session was both joyful and purposeful, which is this group to a T," said UNC coach Courtney Banghart, who has the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row. "We're healthy and energized to play after a long layoff. March brings such a coveted opportunity, and we're grateful to be here."
After practice it was back to the hotel for dinner then a return trip to "the Schott" for Thursday evening's First Four game between 11th seeds Purdue and St. John's. The Tar Heel coaches and student-athletes watched the Red Storm pull out a 66-64 win, setting up a first-round meeting with UNC.
Carolina and St. John's will square off on Saturday at 4 p.m. in a game that will air on ESPN. On Friday, the Tar Heels will have the luxury of practicing while finally knowing who their next opponent will be. Additionally, they'll have press conferences and media availability as well as a team dinner out in Columbus as they prepare to open NCAA Tournament play on Saturday.
UNC is making its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance and is one of just seven programs to have been in the field 30 or more times. Freshman Paulina Paris is the only Tar Heel who wasn't part of the team's Sweet 16 run last season, but two others – redshirt freshmen Teonni Key and Kayla McPherson – were sidelined by injuries during the 2022 tournament and also are expected to make their tournament debuts on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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