The North Carolina women’s basketball team (13-0, 3-0 ACC) defeated Clemson (6-8, 0-3 ACC) on Sunday, 81-62, giving the Tar Heels a third straight win in conference play.
What happened?
The Tar Heels broke out to a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes of play, led by fast breaks from sophomore guards Alyssa Ustby and Kennedy Todd-Williams. As the initial jitters of the speedy start to the game subsided, the Tar Heel’s shooting prowess began to shine, as Carlie Littlefield and Deja Kelly made threes on back-to-back possessions.
At this point, with a 15-2 lead, the Clemson defense picked up. With their 2-3 zone, the Tigers were able to trap sophomore forward Anya Poole, and effectively terminate the dribble drive for the Tar Heels. At the end of the first quarter, UNC had converted on just two of its last 10 shots from the floor.
In the beginning of the second quarter, in spite of attempts from North Carolina to set up ball screens and open up lanes, Clemson applied heavy pressure in the paint and was able to cut down on UNC’s layups. Despite this, the Tar Heels shot the jumper effectively in the second quarter, outscoring the Tigers 24-11 with a 50 percent field goal percentage.
The Tigers finally got their offense together in the third quarter, and outscored the Tar Heels 23-22. They continued to cut into UNC’s lead in the fourth quarter, starting things off on a 7-0 run in the final period of play. Despite the Tigers’ best efforts, UNC was mostly able to sustain its 22-point lead the team built up in the first half, ultimately defeating Clemson by 19 points.
Who stood out?
Ustby immediately shot out of the gate for the Tar Heels, scoring the first basket of the game on a fast break before converting a steal for a breakaway layup on the very next possession.
Todd-Williams also stood out at the beginning of the game, leading the Tar Heel’s defensive efforts. By applying direct pressure on the point guard and making back-to-back layups, she helped build her team’s lead in the early minutes of the game.
