The North Carolina women’s basketball team led for over 33 minutes of game time in its 81-75 win over UNC-Charlotte on Sunday, but not once during the matchup did the Tar Heels' lead ever feel comfortable.
A winless, but deceptively good, 49ers team brought the fight to UNC, keeping pace with the Tar Heels’ high scoring offense and taking the lead twice in the final four minutes before succumbing to free throws.
After blowing out their first four opponents with an average scoring margin of 46.3 points, UNC-Charlotte proved to be North Carolina's first real test of the season before the Tar Heels transition to ACC play against Wake Forest on Thursday. Three days ago, the 49ers played Wake Forest to just a three-point loss, proving just how formidable they could be against ACC caliber teams.
UNC head coach Courtney Banghart was not at all surprised by how close the game was. Turns out it was exactly the type of game she was looking for.
“We knew that was a great team. My young team needed that,” she said. “They needed to play against a senior-led, experienced, winning, good, balanced team, and it was that.”
The Tar Heels' youthfulness was something that coach and player alike mentioned after the game. Sunday was the first time that the team’s five first-years experienced a close, hard-fought college basketball game.
“We have a really young team, very talented but young,” graduate guard Stephanie Watts said. “This is their first time against this level of competition, so I think it’s just important to lead and let them follow that.”
Petra Holešínská, the second of UNC’s two graduate players, echoed that this game was a learning experience for the first years.
“I would say probably just play hard for 40 minutes,” she said. “Obviously, you guys know that you can’t take a break in the ACC, and I feel like that’s one thing we can take away.”
