Three keys for No. 20 UNC women's basketball's road matchup at Florida State

On Thursday, the No. 20 North Carolina women’s basketball team will travel to Tallahassee, Fla. to take on No. 21 Florida State for the team’s third-straight ACC-ranked matchup. 

After the Tar Heels secured their first ranked win of the season against then-No. 25 Syracuse, they followed up with a road upset at then-No. 18 Notre Dame on Sunday, maintaining a perfect ACC record. But even for a crescendoing UNC group, the high-scoring Seminoles will still likely pose a challenge. FSU previously defeated then-No. 11 Tennessee and most recently took then-No. 3 N.C. State to overtime, before eventually falling 88-80. 

Here are three keys for the Tar Heels to extend their five-game winning streak:

Confronting a blistering FSU offense 

Ta’Niya Latson's 21.1 points per game  ranks second in the ACC and 16th nationally. The sophomore guard recently dropped 30 points against N.C. State and has only recorded two single-digit games this season. She spearheads a potent Florida State offense that scores 84.4 points per game — good for second in the ACC and top-15 nationally.

Meanwhile, the Tar Heels' 70.5 points per game are third worst out of the conference's 15  teams, so it's safe to say UNC wouldn't be able to keep pace with the fast-paced Seminoles in a shootout. While UNC graduate guard Lexi Donarski, senior forward Alyssa Ustby and senior guard Deja Kelly will likely continue to serve as the offense's focal points, the Tar Heels' success will likely come from sticking to its defensive strengths.

Showing post presence 

If there is one thing head coach Courtney Banghart prides her team on, it's defense.

North Carolina’s defense allowed only 56.5 points per game, good for second in the ACC.

Notre Dame, Syracuse and FSU all boast top-4 scoring offenses in the ACC. While the Fighting Irish and Orange average 85.1 and 78.6 points, respectively, both teams were held to less than 60 points when they played North Carolina.

The Tar Heels' defense is highlighted by its front court tandem in Ustby and junior center Maria Gakdeng, along with  an elite perimeter defender in Donarski, who was the 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year before she transferred from Iowa State.

At many points during the contests, Syracuse and Notre Dame were forced to take difficult shots after being denied favorable deep post positions, along with an inability to get clean looks from downtown. With a rare open look or lane available, Notre Dame sported a 31.1 percent field goal percentage, while Syracuse never even reached the 30 percent mark against UNC. 

Considering Latson is one of the best slashing guards in the country — only 16.6 percent of her field goal attempts this season have been 3-pointers — the lack of space in the paint should help neutralize the guard and, consequently, help contain FSU’s offense overall.

Building on basics 

During the Tar Heel's 12-day break in December, Banghart took time to work on offensive problems that plagued the guards, such as simple hand and foot placement adjustments — during the first 12 games of the season. 

Though North Carolina is positioned in the ACC's bottom five in scoring and 3-point field goals, the team steadily improved offensively during the last three games. The Tar Heels sported a 50 percent field goal percentage against Syracuse, partially due to Ustby’s efficient triple-double. In their other two conference matchups, they shot around the 40 percent mark. 

To beat FSU, UNC will have to rely on a combination of its emerging offense — one that is still plagued by missed free throws and ranks No. 334 in free-throw percentage across DI programs — and consistent defense to maintain a perfect conference record.

@_emmahmoon

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