University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Norfolk State
No. 19 Women's Basketball Closes Out Non-Conference Slate Against Norfolk State At Home
December 20, 2024 | Women's Basketball
NO. 19/14 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (11-2, 0-1 ACC)
Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (Dartmouth, 2000)
Record at North Carolina: 107-58 (6th season)
Career Record: 361-161 (18th season)
NORFOLK STATE SPARTANS (11-3, 0-0 MEAC)
Head Coach: Larry Vickers (Norfolk State, 2007)
Record at Norfolk State: 158-97 (10th season)
Career Record: Same
TIPPING OFF
• North Carolina wraps up its non-conference schedule by hosting the back-to-back MEAC champions in Norfolk State on Saturday.
• Coming off of a 20-point victory over Florida at the 2024 Jumpman Invitational, the Tar Heels returned to the W column with their second win over an SEC team this season.
• Maria Gakdeng remains a force in the paint, with the fifth-year recording back-to-back double-figure games and is one of two Tar Heels averaging double-digits.
• Depth runs deep among this Tar Heel team, as UNC has eight players averaging 5.0 points or more per game.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Coming off of back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, the Spartans were once again selected as the preseason favorite in the MEAC.
The Spartans currently lead their conference in scoring offense and scoring defense, averaging a total of 66.5 points per game and limiting its opponents to 57.9.
Diamond Johnson has established herself as one of the best point guards nationally, ranking in the top-25 in points, steals and assists.
LAST TIME OUT
Facing off against yet another power conference opponent, UNC jumped back on track with a 77-57 point win over Florida at the 2024 Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte
A balanced attack from the Tar Heels led them to pick up their 11th win of the season, with all 13 active for UNC hitting the court.
Maria Gakdeng remains a problem for opponents, as her work on the inside led her to a team-high 14 points and eight rebounds.
Freshman Lanie Grant recorded her second double-figure scoring game of her career off of a personal-best five field goals en route to 13 points.
The UNC defense remains feared, forcing a high-powered Florida offense to its fewest points in a game this year.
GETTING IT DONE
During the non-conference slate, UNC has proven to put up numbers on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
The Tar Heels currently boast eight 20 plus point wins throughout the non-conference schedule, tying the most under Courtney Banghart.
STACKING DUBS
As the Tar Heels currently hold 11 wins against non-conference opponents, the mark sets a Banghart era high.
A win on Saturday over Norfolk State would give UNC 12 wins over non-conference foes for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
PUTTING ON THE PRESSURE
The Tar Heels love to force their opponents to cough up the ball, with seven opponents this season surrendering 20 or more turnovers.
With seven 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 five games with 10 plus three's drained.
13 games into the 2024-25 campaign, the Tar Heels have matched a Banghart era best of games with 10 or more triples, the most since the 2020-21 season.
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 11-6 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 12 out of of its opponents and averages 27.3 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 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-25 in multiple statistical categories.
The Tar Heels currently rank first in the ACC and 19th nationally in holding its opponents to a 34.3% clip from the field.
In holding four of of its opponents this season under 40 points, UNC ranks 11th in Division I basketball in scoring defense and once again leads the ACC by keeping its opponents to an average of 52.5 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 and have held eight of its 13 opponents to its lowest scoring game of their season.
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.
This trend continued against N.C. State with yet another double-double off of 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Ustby is one of nine in program history to achieve the 1k rebound milestone and one of nine 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 earned her way on to the top-25 list at UNC with 13 points against Kentucky.
Against N.C. Central, 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 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 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.
13 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 20-game streak with a made triple.
This stretch dating back to last season is the longest of the fifth-year's career.
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 six out of 13 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. 8 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC in keeping turnovers to a minimum at 11.4 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. 6 nationally in active career assists with a total of 588.
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.
The Tar Heels matched this effort again versus Coppin State with 12 scoring against the Eagles.
HOME SWEET HOME
The confines of Carmichael Arena are sweet to the Tar Heels, especially during non-conference action.
Under Banghart, UNC is 34-2 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 297. With 141 career appearances, she also ranks No. 6 in active games played.
A walking double-double, Ustby's 1070 career rebounds have her sixth nationally. Her 41 double-doubles have her seventh 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.
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 193 and ranks 13th 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
LEXI DONARSKI
• 3 made three's away from 300 career.
MARIA GAKDENG
• 7 blocks away from 200 career.
• 7 assists away from 100 career.
GRACE TOWNSEND
• 212 points away from 1,500 career.
• 12 assists away from 600 career.
ALYSSA USTBY
• 182 rebounds from No. 1 in program history.
• 2 blocks from No. 9 in program history.
• 23 points from moving into 22nd overall in scoring at UNC.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Carolina returns from a holiday break to enter the gauntlet of ACC action, hitting the road for a trip to Miami on Sunday, Dec. 29.
The Tar Heels take on the Hurricanes from Coral Gables at 4 p.m. ET, airing nationally on ACC Network.
