University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
5-1,0-0ACC
UNCG
2-4,0-0SoCon
Career-High Nights From Brooks And Toomey Push WBB To Win Over UNCG
November 23, 2025 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In Carolina's return home to Carmichael Arena on Sunday night, Ciera Toomey had a standout performance, shattering multiple career highs with 19 points, four assists and three steals to lead the No. 14 Tar Heels to a 94-48 win against in-state challenge UNCG. Nyla Brooks also had a career showing with 18 points, shooting 100 percent from the field.
North Carolina (5-1) set multiple season highs in a dominant first half, shooting 62.5 percent from the field, including a blistering 73.7 percent in the second quarter alone. Carolina also knocked down 50 percent of its threes in the first half. Offensively, UNC posted 40 points from turnovers, a season best performance. On the defensive end, the team held UNCG (2-4) to just eight points in the first quarter, matching a season low.
Toomey led all scorers with a career-high 19 points and paced UNC with seven rebounds. The redshirt-sophomore also dished out a career-high four assists. Laila Hull also recorded a career-high four assists, while Reniya Kelly matched her and Toomey with four dimes.
The freshmen continue to shine as Brooks dropped a casual 18 points, not missing a shot from the field. Taliyah Henderson tallied her new career-high with 13 points, including five points in the final quarter.
Aarnisalo and Nivar also tallied double-figures, as Nivar now rides a career-long streak of six games in double-figure scoring. Nivar also crossed the 150 steal mark as she snagged three of Carolina's 14 swipes.
The Tar Heel defense was on full display in the first quarter, only allowing eight points through the first quarter. Additionally, the defense forced 23 turnovers, converting it to 40 points, a season high. The squad went on a 13-2 run in the midst of the first with contributions from behind the arc courtesy of Grant and Aarnisalo.
Into the second quarter, Brooks was the first Tar Heel to reach double-digit points, two of those field goals being from three, with just seven minutes of playing time. Carolina continued to build up its advantage, leading 49-30 at the break.
In the third quarter, Toomey totaled 11 of the 21 Tar Heel points. She also added four rebounds and a steal all in six minutes. In the final ten minutes of the game, Carolina shot 80% from three and 76.9% from the field as a younger core for UNC picked up valuable minutes.
Carolina has now won 31 straight games at home against unranked non-conference opponents, as the Tar Heels sent UNCG home, 94-48.
The Tar Heels will take off to Mexico for the 2025 Cancun Challenge, which runs from Nov. 27-29, at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, where they will take on three NCAA Tournament teams in three days. Carolina will first take on Summit League champions South Dakota State on Thursday, Nov. 27th at 11 a.m. airing on Flo College.
