Veteran core disappears in UNC women's basketball's loss to UConn

GREENSBORO — Four out of five UNC starters sat on the bench to start the fourth quarter.

Four newcomers checked into the game alongside senior center Maria Gakdeng. A once 21-point deficit was chipped down to single digits in a matter of minutes.

Head coach Courtney Banghart subbed her starters back in. The momentum fizzled out.

Graduate forward Alyssa Ustby finished 1-for-9 from the field. In foul trouble, graduate guard Lexi Donarski only took three shots, connecting on one. Gakdeng had two points. 

No. 14 North Carolina showed promising fight in a late-game rally against No. 2 UConn on Friday night at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. But ineffective play from veterans and a struggle to score late plagued UNC's ability to mount a full comeback as the Tar Heels fell to the Huskies, 69-58. 

“I think the fight was pretty consistent across the roster,” Banghart said. “The fact that our seniors didn't play well doesn't mean they didn't play hard.”

The Tar Heels went on a 10-3 run to start the fourth quarter and cut UConn's lead to nine points. 

The effort began on the defensive end. Valuable minutes from a pair of redshirt first-years, Laila Hull and Ciera Toomey, provided three consecutive stops and crucial rebounding for UNC in the low post. 

And that defense then turned into offense as both forwards drilled fourth-quarter threes before junior guard Indya Nivar added a layup to spark the beginnings of a comeback. 

“Those possessions are very valuable in those moments because you really need them when you're fighting back,”  Nivar said. 

However, the Tar Heels began to waste each valuable possession. Aside from UNC's final shot — a meaningless 3-pointer in the waning moments — North Carolina failed to record a field goal in the remaining seven minutes of the game.

The blame fell on a trio of veterans, Gakdeng, Donarski and Ustby. The group combined for only six points in the second half, and just one in the fourth quarter — 10 total on the game. UNC's core pieces shot just 3-13 from the field in North Carolina's first ranked matchup of the year. 

“The seniors as a whole, they need to be better quite frankly,” Banghart said. “And they need to take responsibility for that they weren't better.”

Despite Banghart's stern tone, the coach wasn't panicking. She pointed out how Ustby now has pieces around her she can better rely on. But not to the degree where Ustby can become nonexistent. 

After the game, Banghart advised her veteran star to keep her emotions in check. The head coach believes if Ustby continues to lean on her skillset and trust the work she puts in, the numbers will return. Last year, Ustby averaged 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. 

And while North Carolina's bench fought hard to get itself back into the game, the Tar Heels need contributions from their veteran core. 

“That's an absolute requirement of this program — that we get better game by game,” Banghart said. “So we'll take everything. The good, the bad, the fans, the energy, the opportunity, the heartbreak.” 

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