WBB Set To Face Michigan State Friday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – They've traveled and talked, practiced and prepared. Finally, it's time to play.

More than two weeks after they last competed, the Tar Heels (19-12) take the court Friday morning in the first game of the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. They'll tip off against Michigan State (22-8) at 11:30 a.m. at Colonial Life Arena. The game will air live on ESPN2.

Carolina traveled to Columbia on Wednesday evening and spent a few hours on Thursday at the arena. First up was media availability, with coach Courtney Banghart and senior captains Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby representing the team.

Madness = Fresh Start!#GoHeels | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/89lyWbakDI — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) March 21, 2024

"March is what this is all about," said Banghart, who has led UNC to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row. "Our guys have been through a challenging non-conference schedule, obviously very challenging conference schedule, and this is the third chapter of the season."

The Tar Heels practiced on the Colonial Life Arena court for about 90 minutes, in roughly the same timeframe in which they'll play there on Friday, meeting the Spartans for the first time since 2014. The team's last outing, a loss to Miami on March 7 in the ACC Tournament second round, is one they're ready to move past, and they're looking at tomorrow as a fresh start at the beginning of Chapter 3.

"I think a fresh start is good way to describe it," Ustby said. "We don't need to necessarily reinvent ourselves but redefine ourselves. Understanding what that means for us is again, urgent on defense, intentional on offense, making sure we rebound, getting out in transition, getting back to the things that we consider our bread and butter and really focusing on those, and, again, just defining ourselves of who the team we want to be in March is."

March Madness is a habit for Carolina, one of just eight programs with 30 or more NCAA Tournament appearances. New, however, is this seeding: UNC is playing as a No. 8 seed for the first time ever. The Tar Heels are 50-29 overall in NCAA play with a championship in 1994 and Final Fours in 1994, 2006 and 2007.

Michigan State comes into the game averaging 83.7 points per game, sixth highest in the nation and more than any other UNC opponent this season aside from South Carolina, which averages 86.1 ppg and will face off against No. 16 seed Presbyterian on its home court in the second of Friday's games. The Spartans also rank ninth in the nation in threes per game (9.2), which means the Tar Heel defense will need to be at its best.

"We're a pretty connected defensive team, so if we just do that and be in the gaps and help the help side, help the helper, I think that will be really important for us to be successful on that end," Kelly said.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Deja Kelly

Alyssa Ustby

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