North Carolina’s women’s basketball team defeated High Point with a final score of 95-70, giving UNC a 3-0 record on the season.
What happened?
UNC initially struggled to get any momentum offensively. The team shot just 6-22 in the first quarter and gave up eight 3-pointers on the other end of the court as well. The Tar Heels were down 32-14 at the end of the first quarter.
More life was shown from North Carolina in the second quarter. High Point wasn't able to get nearly as many open looks from three as it did in the first. The defense picked up for North Carolina which led to more opportunities on the offensive end. The second unit was instrumental in the comeback effort, with Stephanie Watts, Ariel Young, Alyssa Ustby and Anya Poole making a difference on both ends of the court. The lead was cut to 43-38 at the end of the second quarter.
The third quarter is when North Carolina truly began to look more like itself. The game was still close, but the Tar Heels took the lead with 2:51 remaining in the period. After entering the fourth quarter up 62-57, North Carolina closed out the game by winning 95-70.
By the end, North Carolina dominated in almost every aspect of the game. The team won the rebounding margin 56-29 and collected 11 steals as a team to High Point’s two. UNC finished the game shooting 47 percent from the field while High Point shot just 36 percent.
Who stood out?
Watts stood out the most in the game, leading the team in four statistical categories — she finished the game with 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals on the afternoon. Additionally, she made two 3-pointers and blocked a shot in her impressive performance coming off the bench. Much of her impact came in the second quarter, as the team was attempting to cut into the lead. Watts made three key steals in the quarter that resulted in six points for the Tar Heels.
Watts continued her big game in the second half, entering the starting unit in the third quarter and helping UNC take the lead late in the third quarter. As one of the lone bright spots in the first quarter, when she scored the majority of the points, Watts was able to get her teammates involved and lead North Carolina to a 3-0 record.
