University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
No. 13 WBB Returns To Chapel Hill, Welcomes Wake Forest On Thursday
January 22, 2025 | Women's Basketball
NO. 13/13 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (17-3, 5-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (Dartmouth, 2000)
Record at North Carolina: 113-59Â (6th season)
Career Record: 367-162 (18th season)Â
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONSÂ (7-10, 0-7Â ACC)Â
Head Coach: Megan Gebbia (Towson, 1994)
Record at Wake Forest: 31-53 (3rd season)
Career Record: 191-159Â (12th season)
 • Returning home to Chapel Hill after a week on the road, Carolina rides a four-game winning streak into a two-game home stand following wins at SMU and Pitt.Â
• Lighting it up from beyond the arc, the Tar Heels drained an ACC game-best 13 made threes at Pitt. Remaining hot from deep, Lexi Donarski drained five triples for the second game in-a-row for the first time in her career.Â
• Maria Gakdeng remains a problem, with the senior grabbing a season-high 14 rebounds on Sunday against the Panthers.Â
• Blossoming in her second season in Carolina blue, Indya Nivar was all over the ball at Pitt with the junior snagging a career-high seven steals while adding 12 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.Â
SCOUTING THE DEMON DEACONS
Despite remaining win-less in ACC play, Wake Forest boasts one of the conference's top scoring defenses by ranking third in holding opponents to an average of of 61.1 points per game.
Elise Williams is leading the Demon Deacons as their leading scorer, with an average of 11.7 points per game.
SERIES HISTORY VS. WAKE FOREST
The Tar Heels hold a steady advantage in the all-time series against Wake Forest, leading 68-18 in the meeting dating back to 1974.
In Chapel Hill, Carolina leads 33-4 with three straight wins over Wake Forest at home.
LAST TIME OUT
Wrapping up its week on the road with a trip to a snowy Pittsburgh, Carolina made it rain inside Petersen Events Center with a 75-58 victory over Pitt on its home court.
With 13 made threes as a team, Carolina went on to earn its sixth consecutive win over the Panthers.
Lexi Donarski remained hot for the second game in-a-row with five made three's to lead UNC with 15 points.
Crushing the Panthers off the glass, with a rebounding margin of +28, Maria Gakdeng carried Carolina with a season-high 14 rebounds.
WHEN YOU'RE HOT, YOU'RE HOT
Heating up from beyond the arc, Carolina felt the energy throughout the team from beyond the arc with six Tar Heels combining for an ACC game-high 13 three's.
Lexi Donarski felt it all week, draining a team-high five triples for the first time in her career making five or more three's in back-to-back games.
The 13 made triples for the Tar Heels tied the most in an ACC game since draining 14 in 2019 against Georgia Tech.
JUMPED OUT THE GYM
As a team, Carolina grabbed a total of 52 rebounds for the second most in a single-game this season and the most since an ACC squad since facing off against Duke in 2022.
The feat was the seventh time a Banghart team had collected 50 or more rebounds against an ACC team.
Alyssa Ustby led the charge, tying her career-high with a total of 18 boards. Her performance was the most rebounds in a single-game by any ACC player this season.
Collecting 49 against Pitt, Carolina crushed the Panthers off the glass for a margin of +13, the most against an ACC team this season.
MAKE IT COUNT
Any win in the ACC is crucial to a team's NCAA Tournament chances and Carolina made a statement in its victory over SMU.
The 31-point victory over the Mustangs was UNC's third ACC win by 30 plus points in the Courtney Banghart era.
This season when facing off against unranked opponents, Carolina is 15-0.
ON THE RISE
Riding a four-game winning streak, Carolina hopped up to No. 13 in this week's edition of the AP Poll.
No. 13 is the best ranking in the poll since the Tar Heels came in at No. 11 in the 1/30 edition of the poll in 2023.
Carolina has not been ranked in the top-10 since December of 2022.
GOING STREAKING
As the Tar Heels currently ride a four-game winning streak in ACC action, Carolina has now won at least four straight conference games for the fourth-consecutive season.
A win on Thursday would be Carolina's longest ACC winning streak since eight straight during the 2023 season.
ROAD WARRIORS
Sitting at 4-0 in true road games, Carolina is off to its best start away from home since the 2021-22 season.
The 2021-22 Tar Heels ran off to a 4-0 start on the road with wins at Charlotte, TCU, Minnesota and Boston College.
The Tar Heels are off to their best road start in conference play at 3-0 since the 2013-14 season.
FEELIN' IT FROM THE FIELD
The Tar Heels hit their stride against Boston College, for their first game of ACC action shooting over 50% from the field and the second of the season.
In the second half, UNC shot a season-best 54.8% for its best in the final two quarters of a game this year.
Under Banghart, Carolina has shot over 50% against ACC opponents in eight games.
LOCK 'EM UP
Carolina limited SMU to very few good looks from the field, shutting down the Mustangs to a field goal percentage of 19.4%.Â
The defensive mark is the best against an ACC foe in the Courtney Banghart era.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Under Banghart, the Tar Heels are 18-28 overall against AP Top-25 teams and 12-7 against ranked opponents at home.
This season the Tar Heels are 2-3 against ranked foes, previously taking on then No. 2 UConn, No. 14 Kentucky, No. 25 Georgia Tech, No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 14 Duke.
WE'VE GOT A NEW TAR HEEL!
Enrolling early at UNC to join the Tar Heels for the spring semester, Taissa Queiroz will join the fold and practice with the team for the remainder of the season.
A four-star prospect by ESPN, a native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil prepped in the Bay Area before signing with the Tar Heels.
The 6-1 guard was named the San Francisco Chronicle Co-North Bay Player of the Year and was ranked a Top-Five Player on the West Coast by Preps-Bay Area.
SHE'S A PROBLEM
Making it happen on the inside, Maria Gakdeng is proving to be a problem in the paint and is lighting it up in ACC action.
Her presence can be felt off the glass, averaging 8.29 rebounds in conference play to rank 7th among ACC players.
KEYS TO A DUB
When it comes to the Tar Heels earning a win, 16 of their 17 wins have had multiple correlations.
Carolina's defense must get it done, holding all victories but one under 60 points or less and provide a little breathing room with all wins but two by 10 points or more.
MAKING THEM PAY
The Tar Heels have been causing havoc all-season for opposing teams, and love to force turnovers.
Not only can Carolina earn takeaways, they cash them in for points and currently average 21.1 points per game off of turnovers.
This season, UNC is earning an average of 18.90 takeaways per game, ranking fifth in the ACC through all games.
STACKING DUBS
With the win over Norfolk State, picked up its 12th non-conference win for the most in a single-season since the 2013-14 campaign.
That team went on to make an Elite Eight appearance and finish 27-10 overall.
DEFENSE IN OUR DNA
Carolina's defense has been one of the strongest in the country this season, ranking in the top-25 in multiple statistical categories.
The Tar Heels currently lead the ACC and sit sixth nationally in holding its opponents to a 33.9% clip from the field.Â
In holding five of of its opponents this season under 40 points, UNC ranks eighth in Division I basketball in scoring defense and once again leads the ACC by keeping its opponents to an average of 53.5 points per game.
The 2024-25 Tar Heels have already bested last season's squad who held only four opponents under 50-points the entire year in keeping eight at or below the mark and have held 12 of its 20 opponents to its lowest scoring game of their season when facing UNC.
EXPERIENCE SPEAKS
With Lexi Donarski, Grace Townsend and Alyssa Ustby each boasting over 130 career appearances, the Tar Heels are touted as one of the most experienced teams in the nation.
UNC is one of five programs nationally with three players appearing in 130+ games, joining Boise State, Miami, Northern Arizona and Oklahoma.
PUTTING ON THE PRESSURE
The Tar Heels love to force their opponents to cough up the ball, with 12 opponents this season surrendering 20 or more turnovers.
With 12 opponents turning over the ball 20 or more times throughout the season, UNC has forced the most opponents to do so since eight did during the 2017-18 season.
BOUNCE BACK
Under Banghart, the Tar Heels are now 29-19 in their next game when coming off of a loss.
THREE'S ON THREE'S
The three ball has been a focal point of Carolina's offense this year, with seven games with 10 plus three's drained.
20 games into the 2024-25 campaign, the Tar Heels have already set a Banghart era best of games with 10 or more triples, the most since the 2020-21 season.
Against Norfolk State, Carolina matched the program best with 14 made triples.
SHINING BRIGHT UNDER THE LIGHTS
The Tar Heels proved that they can handle the spotlight in its win over No. 14 Kentucky and sure made a statement of it.
The 19-point win over the Wildcats was the largest win against any AP Top-25 opponent since 2020 and its largest win over a top-15 ranked opponent since 2011.
In Carmichael Arena, the Tar Heels are 12-7 against ranked opponents under Banghart.
RUNNING DEEP
The 2024-25 Tar Heel roster is full of talent, as Banghart can go deep in the roster in any game situation.
This season, UNC's bench has outscored 19 out of of its 20 opponents and averages 25.6 points per game from its reserves.
Seven Tar Heels currently average 5.0 points per game or higher.
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 tournament.
Carolina followed this performance up by tying its then 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 Asheville.
In the Banghart era, the Tar Heels boast 33 games with 10 or more three's made.
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 15-4 overall.
SHARE THE ROCK
Rolling deep, the Tar Heels pose multiple scoring threats with nine different players recording double-figure games this season.
20 games in, seven different Tar Heels have led the team in scoring this season.
LET IT FLY LEX!
As one of the nation's best active three-point shooters, Lexi Donarski is a reliable scoring option for a three as she currently rides a 27-game streak with a made triple.
This stretch dating back to last season is the longest of the fifth-year's career.
Donarski currently averages 2.30 triples per game to rank 9th among players in the ACC.
WE'LL SWIPE THAT
The Tar Heels have been aggressive on the defensive end this season, powered by Reniya Kelly and Indya Nivar.
The Tar Heels have swiped 10 or more steals in nine out of 20 games this season.
At Pitt, Nivar tallied a career-high seven steals for the most in a single-game in the Banghart era.
Nivar currently ranks second in ACC games with an average of 2.71 steals per contest.
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
UNC has proven itself as one of the top ball handling teams in the country, ranking No. 16 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC in keeping turnovers to a minimum at 12.5 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. 8 nationally in active career assists with a total of 605.
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 61 games.
HOME SWEET HOME
The confines of Carmichael Arena are sweet to the Tar Heels, especially during non-conference action.Â
Under Banghart, UNC is 35-2 in non-conference home games.
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.Â
A Carolina native, Thomas hopes to provide assistance on the interior and a strong defensive presence.Â
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.
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.Â
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 316. With 148 career appearances, she also ranks No. 6 in active games played.
A walking double-double, Ustby's 1147 career rebounds have her fifth nationally. Her 46 double-doubles have her fifth nationally among active players.
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, reaching the 200 career block mark at SMU and ranks 12th among active players.
MILESTONE TRACKER
MARIA GAKDENG
• 3 assists away from 100 career.
GRACE TOWNSEND
• 182 points away from 1,500 career.
ALYSSA USTBY
• 105 rebounds from No. 1 in program history.
• 26 points from moving into 18th overall in scoring at UNC.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Tar Heels remain in Chapel Hill, hosting Florida State on Sunday as the program welcomes back letter-winners for their annual Alumni Day.
Tip against the Seminoles is set for 12 p.m. ET, airing nationally on ACC Network.
