Carmichael Comments: Checking The Record Books

Carmichael Comments: Checking the Record Books
Vol. 7, No. 5
By: Matt Krause (@MattKrausePxP)

Friday's 119-43 Carolina women's basketball victory against North Carolina Central was nothing short of historic. All 12 Tar Heels who played scored in a win that re-set numerous milestones in the Courtney Banghart era, and vaulted Carolina to a 7-1 record to bring November to a close. The purpose of the non-conference portion of the schedule is to improve and challenge teams before ACC play, facing a variety of styles and environments along the way. So far, mission accomplished for a Carolina team that returned home for the first time in 22 days as a more seasoned and refined team than the one embarking on a five-game journey away from Carmichael Arena.

Here's a few notable stats, notes, and nuggets from the historic win over the Eagles:

Carolina's 119 points mark the most scored under Courtney Banghart, and most since scoring 124 against New Orleans on Dec. 16, 2013. It's the third-most in a game in program history behind only the New Orleans game and 121 against Mercer on Nov. 29, 1985 – 39 years to the day before the NC Central game.

For just the third time in the Banghart era, Carolina reached the 100-point mark, and kept on rolling from there en route to piling up 119 against the Eagles. That figure matched a pair of Florida State games for the highest-scoring game by any ACC team this season (one of which came against North Carolina Central), and represented Carolina's highest point total since a lopsided affair against the New Orleans Privateers over a decade ago. Carolina's 65 points in the first half marked the most in a half under their sixth-year head coach, surpassing the previous best of 57. Carolina scored in a variety of ways – 33 points off three-pointers, an impressive 70 points in the paint, and 16 points at the free throw line.

Carolina's 76-point margin of victory was the Tar Heels' best under Banghart and best since winning by 83 against New Orleans in Dec. 2013.

A few weeks ago in Carolina's most recent home game against UNCW, the Tar Heels built a 24-point halftime lead and won the game by 27. After scoring 40 points in the opening half, Carolina scored only 37 in the second half against the Seahawks, and was outscored in the game's final quarter. The performance led Banghart to say after the game that her team "played to the scoreboard" in the second half, perhaps not valuing possessions with such a large lead. Part of the challenge in the game against North Carolina Central was to avoid a similar outcome against an overmatched team, and Carolina did just that.
"We felt like good teams beat good teams, and good teams hammer teams we have a clear advantage over," Banghart said. "We wanted to play to our standard and not play to the scoreboard."
Carolina's previous best margin and lead in the Banghart era was 70 against South Carolina State during the pandemic season in December 2020. The Tar Heels led by as many as 77 in the North Carolina Central win.

Carolina put six players into double figures in scoring for the first time since Dec. 6, 2023 against UNCG, and sixth time under Banghart. Six is the most double-figure scorers in the Banghart era.

The Tar Heels hadn't had more than three double-figure scorers in any of their first seven games. They doubled that against the Eagles, placing four starters and a pair of reserves into double figures. Alyssa Ustby finished one point shy of matching a career high with her 24-point game, the highest scoring output for any Tar Heel this season. Two additional Tar Heels – Reniya Kelly (9 points) and Grace Townsend (8 points) – came within one field goal of becoming a seventh player to reach 10 points.
Through a month of the season, nine Tar Heels own a double-digit scoring game, and six different players have led or tied for the team lead in scoring. In Banghart's eyes, that's a theme of this team.
"It's a team that's going to have to do this by committee," she explained. "We're going to need big nights from a lot of different (players) as the season goes on."

Carolina hit 11 threes for a second straight game. The 22 threes made by the Tar Heels are the most in a two-game span since 22 against Missouri and Illinois in Nov./Dec. 2019.

Carolina's blowout win over Indiana in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game featured an impressive 11 made three-pointers, which stood as the season high for a whole one game. Six different Tar Heels hit a three against North Carolina Central, a positive sign for a team that, as discussed above, is becoming a team that will score by committee. Even with Carolina's success in recent seasons, the Tar Heels have not been known as a dangerous shooting team on a game-in, game-out basis. We'll see if this trend continues through December and beyond.

Carolina's 28 assists are the most in the Banghart era.

A quick glance at records show that the 28 helpers are the most not only under Banghart, but since at least 2003. Impressively, 11 of the 12 Tar Heels who saw the floor had an assist, paced by Reniya Kelly's career-high six. Carolina's ability to share the ball has led to taking high-percentage quality looks. 28 of the Banghart-era record 46 made field goals were assisted, an assist rate of 60.9%.

Up Next
No. 16 Carolina will continue their five-game homestand with a pair of games this week. Up first, a huge showdown with No. 14 Kentucky in the second annual SEC-ACC Challenge. Kentucky is led by Kenny Brooks, their first-year head coach who spent the last eight seasons at the helm at Virginia Tech. Prior to last February's Hokies win on their emotional Senior Day, a whopping four straight games between Carolina and Tech came down to either the final possession of regulation or overtime. The on-the-court link between the two teams is point guard Georgia Amoore, a former All-ACC First Team pick who followed Brooks from Blacksburg to Lexington for her final season of eligibility. Thursday's tip is an early one by weekday standards, with tip set for 5:00 p.m. at Carmichael Arena. Our THSN coverage begins 30 minutes prior to tip with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show at 4:30 p.m. Catch the call worldwide for free on the Varsity Network app from Learfield, GoHeels.com, or the GoHeels app. WCHL 97.9 FM/1360 AM, the flagship station of Carolina Women's Basketball coverage, joins the broadcast right at game time at 5:00.

On Sunday, Carolina welcomes Coppin State to Carmichael Arena for the first time since 2016. It's the fifth meeting between the Tar Heels and Eagles. Tip is set for 2:00 p.m., and our THSN coverage begins 30 minutes prior to tip with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show at 1:30 p.m. Catch the call worldwide for free on the Varsity Network app from Learfield, GoHeels.com, or the GoHeels app, as well as on WCHL 97.9 FM/1360 AM.
Then on Monday, our final edition of Holding Court for the 2024 calendar year takes place at the Sheraton Chapel Hill at noon. Come on out and join us for the show's taping, or listen any time starting Tuesday on the Tar Heel Voices podcast channel.

That's all for now. Go Heels!
-Matt