The No. 19 UNC women’s basketball team (13-1, 3-1 ACC) lost its season-opening win streak in a 72-45 loss against in-state rival No. 5 North Carolina State (13-2, 4-0 ACC) on Thursday night.
What happened?
North Carolina’s title as one of the most high-scoring teams in the country was not visible on Thursday. While sophomore guard Deja Kelly was able to put up a solid 12 points in the period — for comparison, in the team’s last game, Kelly scored 18 in the first quarter — otherwise, the team’s scoring was limited and sloppy with most of the shots connecting with the rim rather than falling through the net.
The Wolfpack proved to be a strong 3-point shooting team, scoring 11-32 compared to UNC’s 5-21. The Tar Heel’s failed to score until five minutes into the game, by which time the Wolfpack was already up by 10.
The Wolfpack showed a great amount of power and energy as they went ran away with points, out-scoring the Tar Heels for the entirety of the game.
Sophomore guard Kennedy Todd-Williams seemed unable to lock in defensively, and while they attempted to chip away at the Wolfpack lead, they simultaneously allowed N.C. State numerous easy shots that only extended their lead. Wolfpack center Elissa Cunane was a menace to the Tar Heel defense, scoring 19 points, including knocking down several 3-pointers.
The Tar Heels trailed 40-23 at the half and were unable to find their rhythm as they transitioned into the second half. UNC only had 12 rebounds compared to N.C. State’s 32, which allowed them to be both dominant on the glass and high-scoring within the paint. The Tar Heels ended the game with 40 rebounds, compared to the Wolfpack's 53.
Who stood out?
Despite the game being overwhelmingly one-sided, Kelly tried to provide leadership to a seemingly unconfident UNC team. She played a competitive, energetic game scoring 21 points, although that was 10 shy of her career-high last game.
