No. 14 UNC women's basketball's defensive intensity shuts down North Carolina A&T

GREENSBORO — With less than a minute left in the third quarter, UNC first-year guard Lanie Grant forced N.C. A&T's Jordyn Dorsey to the left side of the basket as she drove down the paint. 

Grant stole the ball. North Carolina's 11th steal of the game. 

She immediately started the fast break, passing to graduate guard Grace Townsend. Townsend gave the ball right back. Grant drained the triple. UNC took a 47-34 lead. 

“I could hear them saying force people left,” N.C. A&T head coach Tarrell Robinson said. 

On Tuesday night at Corbett Sports Center in Greensboro, the Aggies were able to throw the Tar Heels off balance, but tweaks to North Carolina's defensive scheme after stumbling out of the gate led No. 14 UNC to a 66-47 win. North Carolina tallied 15 steals and forced 21 N.C. A&T turnovers, which proved to be the difference between the two.

The primary response to the early struggles was hard-nosed defense. With UNC shooting just 26.7 percent in the first quarter, partially due to a lack of communication on offense, the team had to find another avenue to success. 

“They had a really great crowd, it’s loud all night, had great energy, students were there supporting their team, made it really hard for us to communicate,” head coach Courtney Banghart said. “And for this young season, with so many young guys, I felt like I couldn't be as helpful as I wanted to be. It was just a great environment for us to have this early in the season.”

That defense came at a very opportune time for North Carolina. After the first quarter, UNC led 13-10 — a less than ideal lead for a team in its unranked non-conference slate. 

Sophomore guard Reniya Kelly answered the call, snatching four steals in the first quarter. Kelly played a pivotal role in preventing the Aggies from taking a lead in opening frame, with her steals constantly stifling N.C. A&T's momentum and leading to great chances on the other side of the court. Her defense helped set the tone for the rest of the night, resulting in UNC holding N.C. A&T to just 47 points, the fewest North Carolina has given up so far this season. 

“They were able to turn us over, speed us up, we had a lot of under-10 shots that we had to throw up, and that goes to them,” Robinson said. 

Robinson further added that UNC's relentless defense forced the Aggies to mid-court constantly, resulting in low percentage looks. N.C. A&T was held to just 34 percent from the field and 20 percent from three.

“We won seven of the nine 50/50 balls, we had 11 on-ball deflections, we held their best player to 12, that has to happen on the road," Banghart said. “It has to. Your defense has to travel."

UNC scored 29 of its 66 total points off turnovers, while adding 27 fast break points. The combination of a defensive stand and a quick bucket on the other end would prove vital — including a standout play from first-year guard Laila Hull.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, the first-year blocked an N.C. A&T baseline jumper, with the rebound falling into the hands of graduate forward Alyssa Ustby.

Ustby dished it to Hull just six seconds later for a three, pushing UNC’s lead to 20.

Playing just her third game of college basketball, Hull scored 11 of her 14 points in that final quarter. She credits the success to the work she did on defense over the summer.

“For me, I would have to try and get my minutes making plays on the ball, hustling defensively,” Hull said. “I feel like that’s where I started to show myself in practice and that’s why I was able to do what I did today.”

While the Tar Heels weren’t firing on all cylinders, the team can count it as a valiant defensive effort against an N.C. A&T squad picked to win its conference. Banghart knows that this is not a UNC team that will make contested threes or bully in the post, but North Carolina can succeed with defensive skills and team chemistry to out-smart opposing squads.

“As a coach you want to be really good every chance you get, but I know it’s a process,” Banghart said. “This was a step forward from the last time we played, and we’re going to keep moving forward.”

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