University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
#14 Kentucky
No. 16 WBB Faces No. 14 Kentucky Thursday In 2024 SEC/ACC Challenge
December 4, 2024 | Women's Basketball
NO. 16/14 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (7-1, 0-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (Dartmouth, 2000)
Record at North Carolina: 103-57 (6th season)
Career Record: 357-160 (18th season)
NO. 14/16 KENTUCKY WILDCATS (7-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Kenny Brooks (James Madison, 1992)
Record at Kentucky: 7-0 (1st season)
Career Record: 542-204 (23rd season)
TIPPING OFF
• Coming off of an offensive explosion against N.C. Central, the Tar Heels kick off the month of December against SEC foe Kentucky for the second annual SEC/ACC Challenge.
• The Tar Heels ride a four-game winning streak, after three at the Battle4Atlantis to claim the trophy and a win over N.C. Central at home.
• Six Tar Heels scored in double-figures against the Eagles, in the Banghart era record 76 point win. UNC also dished out a Banghart best 28 assists as a squad.
• 119 points scored against N.C. Central marked the third-most in a game in program history as a season-best 12 Tar Heels found their way to to the hoop. Everyone who stepped on the court for the UNC, scored a bucket.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
In the first season under head coach Kenny Brooks, the Wildcats are off to a hot start and an unblemished record with point guard Georgia Amoore at the helm.
The Wildcats are the nation's top defensive teams, leading the nation with an average of 10.3 blocks per game and rank second in holding their opponents to 29.6% from the field.
SERIES HISTORY VS. KENTUCKY
The Tar Heels and Wildcats meet for the first time since 2019 and in Chapel Hill for the first time since 2001.
Carolina holds the all-time advantage 5-1, after winning the first five meetings in the series.
UNC is searching for its first win over an SEC school since the 2019 Cancun Challenge where the Tar Heels took down Missouri.
LAST TIME OUT
The Tar Heels couldn't miss on Friday against N.C. Central, scoring 119 points against the Eagles.
Alyssa Ustby remains hot, scoring a season-high 24 points off of 10 made field goals, shooting at a blistering 76.9% clip.
Five more Tar Heels joined Ustby in double-digits, while all 12 who took the court for UNC stuffed the stat sheet with a bucket of their own.
The 76-point win over the Eagles, set the Banghart record for the largest margin of victory.
BROUGHT THE FIREWORKS
The Tar Heels put on a memorable offensive performance against N.C. Central, recording a Banghart era high 119 points for the third most in program history.
Six Tar Heels scored in double-figures, with Alyssa Ustby leading the way with a season-high 24 points.
Carolina dished out a Banghart era best 28 assists, the most in a single-game in the past 20 seasons.
The field goal percentage of 58.6% was the highest in a single game for the Tar Heels since against Jackson State in 2022.
119 points tied Florida State in the most scored by an ACC team in a single-game this season.
MAKE IT RAIN
Something about Imperial Arena had the Tar Heels feeling hot from three, draining a total of 23 throughout the Battle4Atlantis.
Trayanna Crisp led Carolina with seven makes from beyond the arc, followed by Lexi Donarski with four.
Overall, the Tar Heels shot a 37.7% clip from deep on the weekend.
Carolina followed this performance up by tying its season high with a total of 11 made three's as a team against N.C. Central. It marked the first back-to-back games with 10 or more made three's since the 2021-22 season against James Madison and UNC Ashville.
In the Banghart era, the Tar Heels boast 31 games with 10 or more three's made.
DEFENSE IN OUR DNA
Carolina's defense has been one of the strongest in the country this season, ranking in the top-10 in multiple statistical categories.
The Tar Heels currently rank first in the ACC and seventh nationally in holding its opponents to a 32.6% clip from the field.
In holding over half of its opponents this season under 40 points, UNC ranks fifth in Division I basketball in scoring defense and once again leads the ACC.
The 2024-25 Tar Heels have already bested last season's squad who held only four opponents under 50-points the entire year.RE-WRITING HISTORY
Taking no vacation in the Bahamas, Alyssa Ustby put her foot on the gas and notched three straight games with
double-figure rebounds. This marked the sixth stretch of her career with three games in-a-row with double-digit boards.
RE-WRITING HISTORY
This trend continued against N.C. State with yet another double-double off of 24 points and 10 rebounds. Ustby now is riding the fifth four-game double-figure rebounding streak of her career.
Ustby is one of nine in program history to achieve the 1k rebound milestone and one of eight active in Division I basketball with at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Not only did Ustby crack the 1,000 career rebound mark, she eclipsed 1,500 career points and is now nine points from making her way on the top-25 list at Carolina.
Against N.C. State, Ustby's three rejections allowed her to crack the top-10 list at Carolina with 116 career blocks.
LOCK IT DOWN
The Tar Heels shut down Villanova, limiting the Tar Heels to a mere 36 points and 23.5% from the field in the Battle4Atlantis semifinals.
36 points are the fewest allowed against a power conference team since 2007. The shooting percentage was the lowest since 2022 against South Carolina State.
Following up its performance against the Wildcats, the Tar Heels held yet another opponent under the 40-point mark in keeping the Hoosiers to 39 points.
The feat marked the first time in program history that Carolina has held back-to-back power conference opponents to under 40 points.
DOUBLE-TROUBLE
As two of Carolina's fifth-year players, the duo of Lexi Donarski and Alyssa Ustby feed off one another's successes on the court.
When the pair both score in double-figures, the Tar Heels are 13-3 overall.
SHARE THE ROCK
Rolling deep, the Tar Heels pose multiple scoring threats with nine different players recording double-figure games this season.
Eight games in, six different Tar Heels have led the team in scoring this season.
WATCH OUT! INDY'S BACK
Even though Indya Nivar missed the first three games of the season due to injury, the junior didn't miss a beat coming in against UConn.
With a team-best 15 points, and nine rebounds, Nivar nearly bested her career-high.
Rejecting two shots, Nivar set a new-career best with two blocks against the Huskies.
WE'LL SWIPE THAT
The Tar Heels have been agressive on the defensive end to start the season, powered by Reniya Kelly and Indya Nivar.
At N.C. A&T, Kelly snagged a career-best five steals against the Lady Aggies as UNC reached double-digit steals for the third consecutive game.
The Tar Heels have swiped 10 or more steals in five out of eight games this season.
Against Villanova, Nivar tallied a career-best six steals for a Tar Heel season best.
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
Early on, UNC has proven itself as one of the top ball handling teams in the country, ranking No. 17 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC in keeping turnovers to a minimum at 12.0 per game.
The Tar Heels surrendered a season-low seven against N.C. Central.
NEED A DIME? GRACE'S GOT YOU
Already statistically proven as one of the best facilitators in college basketball, Grace Townsend continues to rack up assists in her first season in Chapel Hill.
The Richmond transfer currently sits at No. 5 nationally in active career assists with a total of 582.
Against UNCW, Townsend tallied eight assists against the Seahawks for a season-best. Throughout her career, Townsend has dished out five or more assists in 60 games.
YOU GET A BUCKET! YOU GET A BUCKET!
The sharing of the ball between the Tar Heels against N.C. Central led to 12 different Tar Heels reaching the basket against the Eagles.
The feat marked the most scoring in a game for UNC during the Banghart era.
A CRISP ADDITION
Coming off the bench in her first game in a Carolina uniform, junior Trayanna Crisp made an immediate splash against Charleston Southern. Finishing as one of three to reach double-figure scoring against CSU with 11 points, Crisp also dished out 3 assists.
For the second year in-a-row, a transfer has scored in double-digits in their Carolina debut, with Crisp joining teammate Indya Nivar who scored 17 points last season against Gardner Webb.
HOME SWEET HOME
The confines of Carmichael Arena are sweet to the Tar Heels, especially during non-conference action.
Under Banghart, UNC is 30-2 in non-conference home games.
NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER
The month of November has proven to be successful for the Tar Heels while under Banghart.
Now during year six in Chapel Hill, UNC is 33-4 during the first month of the season under her tenure.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
A mixture of youth and experience can be found throughout the Tar Heel roster, yet some of the vets on the team have proven their skills on a national level.
The duo of Donarksi and Ustby make them one of the most experienced pairs in the country, ranking in the top-10 in multiple categories among active players in Division I Basketball.
As a sharpshooter, Donarski currently sits at No. 6 in made three's with a total of 287. With 136 career appearances, she also ranks No. 7 in active games played.
A walking double-double, Ustby's 1038 career rebounds have her sixth nationally. Her 41 double-doubles have her seventh nationally among active players.
Newcomer Grace Townsend has proven herself as one of the best dime droppers in the nation, with her total of 582 ranking fifth overall and leads the ACC.
WHAT'S BACK?
Nine from last year's NCAA Tournament team return to Chapel Hill, including three key starters in Lexi Donarksi, Maria Gakdeng and Alyssa Ustby.
The trio accounted for 47.4% of UNC's scoring in 2023-24, and prepare to make even more of an impact as Donarski and Gakdeng enter their second season in a Carolina uniform.
Indya Nivar returns after appearing in all 33 games last season with starting experience and Reniya Kelly boasts 11 starts and 21 appearances prior to missing the remainder of last season due to injury.
STAT BREAKDOWN
Points returning: 63.1%
Three's returning: 63.9%
Rebounds returning: 62.1%
Assists returning: 63.7%
Steals returning: 70.1%
Blocks returning: 72.5%
Ustby is back as the Tar Heels' leader in rebounds, assists and steals from last season.
Around the rim, Gakdeng looks to expand her defensive range as the team's leading shot blocker with 51 rejections last year.
With 283 made career-three's, Donarski drained 74 triples last season for 33.9% from beyond the arc to lead the Tar Heels.
NOT DONE YET
Choosing to utilize their fifth and final season of collegiate eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Donarski and Ustby prep to make their last seasons one to remember.
Donarksi has already eclipsed the 1,500 career-point mark, while Ustby remains just shy.
THE FAB FRESHMEN
Scouring the United States for some of the nation's top talent, Banghart and Co. have brought in three freshman that have the chance to make an immediate impact for Carolina.
Lanie Grant, Blanca Thomas and Jordan Zubich comprise the freshman class with the trio bringing in a plethora of high school and club accolades.
Grant chose to reclassify to the class of 2024 and forgo her final season of high school to join the Tar Heels early. An active member of USA Basketball, Grant was a member of the 2023 U.S. U16 Team that won gold at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship, while averaging 11.2 points throughout the tournament.
A Carolina native, Thomas hopes to provide assistance on the interior and a strong defensive presence. The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year by the Charlotte Observer, Thomas led Charlotte Catholic to back-to-back final four appearances in the state tournament during her sophomore and junior seasons.
Joining Ustby as the second Minnesota native on the team, Zubich is coming off of an electric prep career where she scored over 3,000 career points. A graduate of Mountain Iron-Buhl High School, Zubich was touted as the No. 69 player in the Class of 2024 by ESPN's HoopGurlz.
A FRESH START
Finding a new home in Chapel Hill, transfers Trayanna Crisp and Grace Townsend immediately add a boost at the point guard position in two experienced floor generals.
Following a breakout sophomore season at Arizona State, Crisp chose to leave her native Arizona to don a Carolina uniform. Appearing in 59 games with 35 starts over two seasons with the Sun Devils, Crisp increaed her scoring by over 50% as a sophomore for an average of 12.1 points per game.
Crisp notched a career-high against Washington last year with a total of 23 points against the Huskies, adding to her total of 29 games scoring in double-figures.
Also choosing to leave her home state, Townsend joins UNC following a heralded four-year career at Richmond. As a Spider, Townsend became the first men's or women's basketball player in school history to reach 1,000 career points, 500 assists and 500 rebounds.
The 2024 A-10 All-Conference First Team honoree ended her career in Richmond ranked 14th overall in scoring for the program with 1,244 points.
KEEPING IT 100
With the win over Ball State, head coach Courtney Banghart reached the 100 win plateau at UNC.
Banghart recently reached the 350 career-win mark in UNC's NCAA Tournament win against Michigan State last season.
LETTING LYSS SHINE
A consistent presence for the Tar Heels the past four seasons, Alyssa Ustby's dedication to the game and the program can be seen in her performance on the court as she averaged a double-double in ACC action last season with 12.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Heading into her final season, Ustby's skills are well known throughout women's basketball as she has added to her list of honors this preseason.
After being named Second-team All-ACC last year, Ustby earned Preseason All-ACC honors to kick off the 2024-25 campaign.
For the fourth consecutive season, Ustby was tabbed to the Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watchlist as one of the country's top small forwards. She was also named to the Naismith Award Preseason Watchlist as one of the top players in women's basketball.
OH MY MARIA!
Posting a stellar first season as a Tar Heel, Maria Gakdeng averaged 6.4 points per game while shooting 62.6% from the field in 2023-24.
The senior's efforts were once again recognized as one of the best centers in the nation, as Gakdeng was named to the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List for the second season in-a-row.
Gakdeng also proves to be a fearless rim protector, on the verge of reaching the 200 career block mark at 182.
PRESSURE IS A PRIVILEGE
At Carolina, winning is a tradition and the pressure to be one of the best remains high. The Tar Heels open the season selected to finish sixth overall in the Atlantic Coast Conference after finishing in the top half of the conference the past four seasons.
MILESTONE TRACKER
LEXI DONARSKI
• 13 made three's away from 300 career.
MARIA GAKDENG
• 6 points away from 1,000 career.
• 13 blocks away from 200 career.
• 11 assists away from 100 career.
INDYA NIVAR
• 9 assists from 100 career.
GRACE TOWNSEND
• 229 points away from 1,500 career.
• 18 assists away from 600 career.
ALYSSA USTBY
• 28 rebounds from top-five in school history.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Tar Heels continue with the second of their four game homestand from Carmichael Arena, welcoming Coppin State on Sunday (Dec. 8). Tip against the Eagles is slated for 2 p.m. ET on ACCNX.
