UNC women's basketball's bench unit provides spark to carry Tar Heels past High Point

After falling in a 21-point hole, the bench unit for North Carolina’s women’s basketball team propelled UNC to a 25-point victory over High Point, 95-70, on Sunday.

The first quarter was a struggle on both ends of the court. After a layup from graduate guard Petra Holešínská in the opening possession, UNC fell behind 17-2 after just four minutes of play and gave up eight 3-pointers in the first frame. 

On the other end of the floor, things weren't much better for the Tar Heels. North Carolina failed to capitalize on the looks that it got and shot just 6-22 from the field in the first quarter. Head coach Courtney Banghart noticed the trend and wanted the team to work to get better shots.

“They didn’t take bad shots in the first half, but they settled,” Banghart said. “The beauty of offense is you determine the shot you take.” 

The second unit kept the Tar Heels alive. The subs accounted for 12 of the 14 points that North Carolina scored in the first quarter. Graduate guard Stephanie Watts led the team in scoring after 10 minutes.

“Something that I pride myself in, personally, is just bringing energy in any way I can and just bringing everybody along with me,” Watts said.

The Tar Heels began to turn it around in the second frame, as they picked up the effort on both ends of the court.

It began with the defense, as North Carolina limited the amount of 3-point opportunities for High Point and played better on-ball defense. 

“I told them it was an issue of 6 inches,” Banghart said. “Put 6 more inches into your contest, and we’ll be all right.”

The bench was instrumental in the comeback effort, as Watts and redshirt sophomore guard Ariel Young combined for five steals in the quarter. The plays on the defensive end bolstered the offense to cut the lead to five going into the second half.

“She’s a coach’s kid,” Banghart said. “So she understands the importance of preparation. Her energy, her ability to defend, her competitiveness was a huge part of this win.”

Watts showed her versatility throughout the game, leading the team outright in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

“My teammates just found me in good positions,” Watts said. “Whenever I was open, my teammates found me. I thank my teammates for being able to get me in the rhythm of the game and bring them together, too.”

Another key contributor was first-year guard Alyssa Ustby, who provided eight points off the bench in the first half. She finished the game with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Ustby assisted a 3-pointer from Holešínská late in the third quarter to give the Tar Heels their first lead since 2-0 at the start of the contest.

From there, UNC never looked back.

Despite the early deficit, the bench lineup helped North Carolina storm back into the game in the second half and run away with it in the fourth quarter. The bench unit, led mostly by Watts, Young, Ustby and first-year forward Anya Poole, finished with 57 points.

“Those are kids, also, that are really rugged,” Banghart said. “They’re competitive. They’re long. They’re fast. They provide impact. Not only did they shoot well or score well, but they provided an impact, which is what you have to do off the bench.”

@jerem11ah

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