University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NC Central
November 10, 2026 | Women's Basketball
No. 23/23 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (0-2, 0-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (Dartmouth, 2000)
Record at North Carolina: 153-74 (8th season)
Career Record: 407-177 (20th season)
NC CENTRAL EAGLES (2-2, 0-0 MEAC)
Head Coach: Olivia Gaines (South Carolina, 2015)
Record at NC Central: 2-2 (1st season)
Career Record: 38-21 (3rd season)
TIPPING OFF
• There's no place like home, as North Carolina is finally back in Chapel Hill for its home opener on Wednesday against NC Central at Carmichael Arena after spending the first week of the season on the road.
• Meeting for the third straight year, the Tar Heels are 9-0 all-time against the Eagles and 30-0 against schools from the MEAC Conference.
• The Tar Heels are undefeated in their home opener in the Courtney Banghart era and have won the past eight. Wednesday is the latest season opener since the delayed 2020-21 season.
• Thriving against non-conference competition at home, Carolina has rattled off 34 wins against unranked non-conference teams and is 41-2 against Banghart in non-conference opponents from the confines of Carmichael Arena.
SERIES HISTORY VS. NC CENTRAL
11/9/07Â Â Â Â NC Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W..109-32
2/1/09Â Â Â Â Â Â NC Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W....98-45
3/14/10Â Â Â Â NC Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W....88-66
1/3/11Â Â Â NC Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W....97-40
12/30/11Â Â NC Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W....79-42
12/12/12 Â NC Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W.....49-21
12/8/19 Â Â NC Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W....92-53
11/29/24 Â NC Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W...119-43
11/3/25 Â Â NC Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Â W....90-42
SERIES NOTES...
In Chapel Hill: UNC leads 9-0
In Durham: --
At Neutral Sites: --
Longest UNC Streak: 9 straight (11/9/07-present)
Longest NCCU Streak: --
Largest UNC Win: 76 (11/29/24 - in Chapel Hill)
Largest NCCU Win: --
Most UNC Points: 119 (11/29/24 - in Chapel Hill)
Most NCCU Points: 66 (3/14/10 - in Chapel Hill)
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
In year one at the helm of Olivia Gaines, the Eagles sit at 2-2 through four games heading into Wednesday's game in Chapel Hill.
The Eagles were predicted to finish sixth overall in the MEAC, with Eboni Clay and Victoria Morris named to the 2026-27 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason Watch List.
CAROLINA VS. NC CENTRAL
Meeting for the third consecutive season and fourth time overall under Courtney Banghart, North Carolina owns a 9-0 series advantage over NC Central.
Scoring 119 points in 2024 in a 119-43 victory, it set a Banghart era record for the most points scored and the largest margin of victory at 76 points.
In last season's meeting, Nyla Brooks paced all scorers with 15 points against the Eagles after shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc in a 90-42 win.
Ciera Toomey posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while also adding four blocks.
LAST TIME OUT
Going head-to-head with No. 1 South Carolina in the 2026 Ally Tipoff in Charlotte, the No. 12 ranked Tar Heels could not slow down the Gamecocks, falling 84-39.
Nyla Brooks paced UNC with 13 points after shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. With a career-high seven rebounds, Kate Harpring led Carolina off the glass.
TAR HEELS AGAINST THE MEAC
The Tar Heels are set to square off against two MEAC teams this season beginning with NC Central on Wednesday and against Norfolk State in December.
All-time, North Carolina is 30-0 against teams from the seven school conference.
NO PLACE LIKE CARMICHAEL
In the only home in the history of Carolina women's basketball, the Tar Heels have traditionally opened the season on their home court on a high note.
In home opening games, Carolina is undefeated in its first home game of the season under Banghart.
Carolina is 41-2 under Banghart in home non-conference games and has won 34 straight games against unranked non-conference teams at home.
STARTING OFF STRONG
Wasting no time, Carolina tested itself early with back-to-back matchups against Power 4 teams to kick off the season.
Opening with two SEC teams, Carolina started the season with two straight power conference foes for the first time since 1989-90.
UNC's season opener was the first against a Power 4 opponent since Carolina met UCLA at a neutral site to begin the 1999-00 season.
The month of November is set to be packed for Carolina, with four games against power conference teams.
Including the Big East, it marks the most games against high-powered conference teams in the month of November since 2018.
KATE HOLDING COURT
In her collegiate debut, Kate Harpring showed that she's here to play, with the freshman dropping a team-high 21 points against Oklahoma.
Harpring is the only Tar Heel freshman to post 20 or more points in their UNC debut in statistics dating back through the 2002-03 season.
Shooting 9-of-26 from the floor, Harpring's attempts also tie for the most by a single player in the Courtney Banghart era.
PASS THE BALL
The Tar Heels shared the ball at a high rate in the season opener, dishing out 22 assists on 29 made field goals in the season opener against Oklahoma.
Reniya Kelly led this charge with a career-high seven assists, while eight Tar Heels dished out at least one assist.
BROOKS LETTING IT FLY
There's no doubt that Nyla Brooks loves the three ball, asserting herself as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's top three-point shooters in her freshman campaign.
Last season, Brooks averaged a total of 63 triples to lead the league among rookies.
Knocking down a season-high four triples against South Carolina, Brooks is currently riding a 15 game streak with a made three for a career long.
EARLY SEASON TESTS
Meeting against the No. 21 Sooners in the season opener was the earliest game in program history against a ranked opponent.
Prior to the meeting against Oklahoma, the earliest the Tar Heels faced a ranked opponent was Nov. 11, 2013 against No. 23 UCLA and Nov. 11, 2007 against No. 12 Arizona State.
Sunday's meeting against No. 1 South Carolina was also Carolina's earliest meeting against the nation's top ranked team and its third in program history in the month of November.
As a program, Carolina is 17-15 against ranked teams in the month of November and 2-6 under Banghart.
KEEP AN EYE OUT - WATCHLIST TRACKER
Earning national acclaim, both Achol Akot and Ciera Toomey found themselves earning spots on Naismith Starting 5 Award Watchlists.
Coming off a breakout season at Oklahoma State, Akot was named to the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Watch List after posting 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds as a junior.
The Honorable Mention All-Big 12 player shot 63.3% from the floor last season to rank sixth nationally.
The development of Toomey in Chapel Hill has been undeniable, with her play earning her a slot on the Preseason Watch List for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.
Carolina's leading returning scorer and rebounder from last year, Toomey averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2025-26. Her 53 blocks last season were the most by a Tar Heel in a single season since 2023-24.
HERE COMES CAROLINA
The Tar Heels are back in action for the 2026-27 campaign and the eighth in the Courtney Banghart era.
A stacked non-conference schedule awaits with multiple high profile tests against Oklahoma, South Carolina, a visit to Penn and the Palestra, Texas Tech and Alabama at the WBCA Challenge, as well as LSU in Chapel Hill for the SEC/ACC Challenge.
Coming off of back-to-back Sweet 16s, Carolina brings back eight returners from last season's regional semifinalist squad.
The growth of the Tar Heels under Banghart is a sight to be seen, with multiple program-noteworthy numbers set last season.Â
Rattling off 14 ACC wins, Carolina reached the victory total in league play to match the best since the 2012-13 season and tie for the second most in program history.
Carolina's 28 wins during the 2025-26 campaign rank in the top-10 in the Tar Heel record book in a single-season.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
Winning is a tradition at North Carolina, with the Tar Heels reaching the 20-win threshold for the past five seasons, matching Carolina's longest streaks from the 2010-11 through the 2014-15 seasons.
Overall, Carolina owns 34 20-win campaigns.
This success translates to the postseason, with the Tar Heels coming off of back-to-back Sweet 16's for its third in the last five seasons.
The Tar Heels are one of 10 programs in the nation to reach the last two Regional Semifinals and one of 13 to reach three of the last five.
ACC ACCLAIM
After a 14-4 record against Atlantic Coast Conference teams last season to finish third, Carolina was once again picked to repeat the mark in the league's preseason poll.
In the last two seasons, Carolina has either surpassed or met its predicted order of finish in the preseason predictor.
Kate Harpring tallied 493 votes to lead freshmen on the ACC Preseason All-Freshmen team as voted on by the league's coaches and media.
Carolina has now had a rookie earn a spot on the ACC Preseason All-Freshman team in back-to-back seasons, with Nyla Brooks picking up the honor last year.
THERE'S ONLY ONE NYLA BROOKS
Coming off a breakout freshman season, Nyla Brooks is ready to run it back for year two in Chapel Hill.
The DMV native earned ACC All-Freshman team honors, while appearing in all 36 games last season. The guard posted double-figure scoring outings in 18 games, with five of those coming in ACC Games.
Brooks' 63 triples were the most by any Carolina rookie since the 2015-16 season as she led the ACC among freshmen in threes made.
Not only does Brooks' play make plenty of noise on the court, but the sophomore is poised to make a fashion statement as she hopes to bring the long shorts style back to basketball.
CT ON THE RISE
Entering her fourth year in Chapel Hill, the development of Ciera Toomey has been undeniable for the 6-4 forward.
As the leading returning scorer and rebounder on the 2025-26 team, Toomey averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest last season.
Sitting out her first season due to injury, Toomey's development from her second to third year is all in the numbers, with her scoring increasing by 175% in her first two years on the court.
A force around the rim, Toomey racked up a total of 53 blocks last season for the most by a Tar Heel since 2023-24. Her team-high 1.5 rejections per game ranked fourth overall in the ACC.
TELL A FRIEND, RENIYA KELLY IS BACK
After missing the latter half of her junior season due to injury, the 2024-25 All-ACC Second Team guard Reniya Kelly is poised for her senior season.Â
Selected as one of two captains alongside Sydney Barker, Kelly is looking to get back into a groove as she was hitting her stride in ACC play last season.
Kelly tallied four double-figure scoring outings as a junior, all against ACC foes.
She put on a show with a career-high performance in North Carolina's win over Miami with 24 points. Kelly owns four 20-piece performances throughout her three seasons in Chapel Hill.
Off the court, Kelly recently launched a Christian clothing brand in the last year called SALOE.
RUNNING DEEPÂ
Depth proved to be a key factor throughout Carolina's 28 wins last season, with the Tar Heels averaging 23.6 points per game from their reserves to rank third in the league.
Nyla Brooks was a key part of this, yet relied on help from Laila Hull, Taissa Queiroz, Jordan Zubich, Blanca Thomas, and Sydney Barker.
Hull appeared in 31 games in her third season in Chapel Hill, knocking down 32 threes at a 34.0% clip from beyond the arc.
After enrolling early in the Spring of 2025, Queiroz finally hit the court for the Tar Heels and showed glimpses of her strength. This past summer, the Belo Horizonte, Brazil, native spent time with her national team to help them qualify for the 2027 Women's AmeriCup.
Zubich came in off the bench in 17 games and proved to be a knockdown threat with 10 made threes at a 32.3% rate.
After a strong freshman campaign where she racked up 115 rebounds, Thomas played in 20 games last season as a sophomore. She put on a career-high performance against UNCW by matching her previous best with eight points.
A former walk-on placed on scholarship at the end of her freshman year, Barker provides a burst of energy anytime she steps on the court. She knocked down a lone triple last season in Carolina's win over SMU.
PORTAL PICKUPS
Banghart and Co. wasted no time when the portal opened, scouring the nation for some of the best talent to bring in four players with Power 4 conference experience.
Following a career-best season at Oklahoma State, Achol Akot chose to head east and spend her senior season in Carolina Blue.
The forward started in all 34 games last season for the Cowgirls, averaging 12.4 points per game en route to earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12. Shooting 63.3%, Akot ranked second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage.
Spending three years in the ACC at Syracuse, Sophie Burrows chose to hit the portal and grow her game in Chapel Hill. With the Orange, Burrows posted back-to-back seasons averaging double-figures in scoring.
A strong defender, Burrows also swiped an average of 1.94 steals per game to rank eighth overall in the ACC.
Excelling on and off the court, Burrows was also named the league's 2026 Kay Yow Award Winner.
Another veteran guard, Chloe Clardy earned her degree from Stanford in three years and chose to continue her playing career at Carolina with two years of eligibility remaining.
Appearing in 98 games for the Cardinal over three seasons, Clardy posted the best season of her career as a junior with 12.0 points per game.
A tenacious defender, Clardy paced Stanford in steals and ranked fifth in the ACC with 2.03 swipes per game.
There's no place like home, and after spending her freshman season at Virginia, Gabby White chose to return to her hometown of Chapel Hill and suit up for the Tar Heels.
Playing in 34 games for UVA as a rookie, White was a member of a Cavalier squad that reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000. The guard posted eight games in double-figure scoring, while averaging 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Two highly touted freshmen enter the fold for the Tar Heels with the addition of Noelle Bofia and Kate Harpring to provide youthful energy for Carolina.
Ranked as the No. 52 overall prospect by ESPN out of Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Bofia graduated from high school early to practice with the Tar Heels this past spring.
Bofia led Xavier Prep to its first AIA Girls Open Arizona state title as a sophomore, and followed up the next season as a junior with a team-high 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game.
Touted as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2026 by 247Sports, Harpring begins her collegiate career following an illustrious prep career at the Marist School.
The 2026 Naismith Girls' High School Player of the Year, Harpring led Marist to back-to-back Georgia 4A State Titles while cementing herself as the Georgia all-time leading scorer with 3,435 career points.
PREPPING FOR MARCH
The Tar Heels have seen the value in early-season tests to prepare for the gauntlet that is the 18-game schedule in ACC play as well as preparation for the NCAA Tournament.
Carolina is set to go head-to-head against five programs that reached the NCAA Tournament last season throughout its non-conference slate, with four of those games coming in November.
Oklahoma - 2026 Sweet 16
South Carolina - 2026 National Runner-Up
Texas Tech - 2026 Second Round
Alabama - 2026 Second Round
LSU - 2026 Sweet 16
WINNING STARTS AT THE TOP
Under Banghart's leadership, the Tar Heels have rattled off at least 20 wins in each of the last five seasons.
Banghart's 57 victories over the last two seasons are the most among ACC coaches.
MILESTONE WATCH
ACHOL AKOT
- 97 career steals - three away from 100
SOPHIE BURROWS
- 869 career points - 131 away from 1000
CHLOE CLARDY
- 197 career assists - three away from 200
CIERA TOOMEY
- 291 career rebounds - nine away from 300
LEAGUED HER
Selected 28th overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream, Indya Nivar joined the long lineage of Tar Heels in the league this past offseason.
Nivar appeared in 23 games over her rookie campaign, as the Dream went on to reach the 2026 WNBA Finals.
WHAT'S NEXT
Heading north, Carolina visits the City of Brotherly Love to take on Penn Saturday at the Palestra.
The Tar Heels and Quakers meet for the first time at 4 p.m. ET, streaming on ESPN+.
