University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
#14 Duke
The Rivalry Continues, No. 19 WBB Hosts No. 14 Duke On Thursday
January 8, 2025 | Women's Basketball
NO. 19/18 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (13-3, 1-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (Dartmouth, 2000)
Record at North Carolina: 109-59Â (6th season)
Career Record: 363-162 (18th season)Â
NO. 14/14 DUKE BLUE DEVILSÂ (12-3, 3-0 ACC)Â
Head Coach: Kara Lawson (Tennessee, 2003)
Record at Duke: 80-36 (5th season)
Career Record: Same
TIPPING OFF
• In one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports, Carolina faces off against Duke for the 109th meeting between the two schools. UNC hopes to make it four straight wins over the Blue Devils in Chapel Hill.Â
• Last season, Carolina and Duke split with each team earning a win on its home court. Both meetings in 2024 came down to an average of six points between the schools.Â
• Maria Gakdeng remains on a tear as the senior has asserted herself as one of the best post players in the ACC. Through the last five games, the senior is averaging 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting at a hot clip of 77.5% from the field.Â
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SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
Starting its ACC slate off 3-0 and sititng at 12-3 overall this season, Duke currently ranks No. 14 in the AP Poll and boasts one of the nation's deepest line-ups.
With two top-10 wins over Kansas State and Oklahoma, the Blue Devils have thrived at home and on a neutral court, yet sit 3-3 in true road games.Â
The Blue Devils run deep into their bench, ranking No. 8 in the country with an average of 34.4 points per game from their reserves.
SERIES HISTORY VS. DUKE
In the series dating back to 1975, Carolina owns a narrow advantage in the matchup 55-53.Â
When playing in Chapel Hill, Carolina leads 28-16 and is currently riding a three-game winning streak against the Blue Devils at home.
The contentious series has reached overtime six times throughout the years.
Thursday's meeting is the 50th between the teams when both programs are ranked in the top-25 of the AP Poll.
LAST TIME OUT
Running into the country's top three-point shooting team, Carolina could not slow down No. 3 Notre Dame, falling 76-66 against the the Irish at Carmichael Arena on Sunday.
With Notre Dame hitting 13 three's at a 61.9 clip, UNC could not muster a comeback despite forcing the Irish to cough up the ball 21 times.
Maria Gakdeng remains a problem for opposing defenses, scoring a team-high 16 points. Piecing together her sixth double-double of the season off of a team-best 11 rebounds and 12 points, Alyssa Ustby added three assists to her day.
Dishing out a season-best four assists, Lexi Donarski also reached double figures with 13 points off of three made triples.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Under Banghart, the Tar Heels are 17-28 overall against AP Top-25 teams and 11-7 against ranked opponents at home.
This season the Tar Heels are 1-3 against ranked foes, previously taking on then No. 2 UConn, No. 14 Kentucky, No. 25 Georgia Tech and No. 3 Notre Dame.
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.
Gakdeng currently tranks No. 6 in scoring in ACC games with an average of 19.3 points per game. Her presence can be felt off the glass, averaging 9.0 boards per outing.
When a shot goes up from Gakdeng, high chance it's going in and she leads the conference wtih a field goal percentage of 75.9% in conference play.
KEYS TO A DUB
When it comes to the Tar Heels earning a win, 12 of their 13 wins have had multiple correlations.
Carolina's defense must get it done, holding all victories under 60 points or less and provide a little breathing room with all wins but one 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 22.4 per game off of turnovers.
This season, UNC is earning an average of 18.75 takeaways per game, ranking fifth in the ACC through all games.
In ACC games, UNC leads the conference in the turnover battle with a turnover margin of +9.33 per game.
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.
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 eight opponents this season surrendering 20 or more turnovers.
With eight opponents turning over the ball 20 or more times throughout non-conference action, 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 28-19 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 six games with 10 plus three's drained.
16 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 11-7 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 15 out of of its 16 opponents and averages 26.5 points per game from its reserves.
Eight 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 Ashville.
In the Banghart era, the Tar Heels boast 32 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-25 in multiple statistical categories.
The Tar Heels currently rank second in the ACC and 20th nationally in holding its opponents to a 35.3 % clip from the field.Â
In holding four of of its opponents this season under 40 points, UNC ranks 15th in Division I basketball in scoring defense and once again leads the ACC by keeping its opponents to an average of 54.1 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 and have held 10 of its 16 opponents to its lowest scoring game of their season.
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 by UNC 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 14-4 overall.
SHARE THE ROCK
Rolling deep, the Tar Heels pose multiple scoring threats with nine different players recording double-figure games this season.
16 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 23-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 2.13 triples per game to rank 11th among players in the ACC.
WE'LL SWIPE THAT
The Tar Heels have been aggressive 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 seven out of 16 games this season.
Against Villanova, Nivar tallied a career-best six steals for a Tar Heel season best.
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
UNC has proven itself as one of the top ball handling teams in the country, ranking No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC in keeping turnovers to a minimum at 11.3 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. 7 nationally in active career assists with a total of 595.
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.
Under Banghart, UNC is 35-2 in non-conference home games.
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 304. With 144 career appearances, she also ranks No. 6 in active games played.
A walking double-double, Ustby's 1105 career rebounds have her fifth nationally. Her 44 double-doubles have her fifth nationally among active players.
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.Â
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.
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 195 and ranks 12th among active players.
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
MARIA GAKDENG
• 5 blocks away from 200 career.
• 7 assists away from 100 career.
GRACE TOWNSEND
• 197 points away from 1,500 career.
• 5 assists away from 600 career.
ALYSSA USTBY
• 143 rebounds from No. 1 in program history.
• 1 block from No. 9 in program history.
• 73 points from moving into 18th overall in scoring at UNC.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Carolina wraps up its homestand with Boston College on Sunday to celebrate beloved mascot Rameses' birthday.
Tip from Carmichael Arena against the Golden Eagles is set for 2 p.m. ET, airing on ACC Network.
