Lexi Donarski leads No. 15 UNC women's basketball to 77-50 victory over UNCW

The No. 15 UNC women’s basketball team (2-0) defeated UNC Wilmington (0-2), 77-50, on Thursday night in Carmichael Arena.

The Tar Heels dominated the Seahawks. With the help of graduate guard Lexi Donarski’s 21 points, the Tar Heels pulled away early and never looked back. First-year center Blanca Thomas’s 10 rebounds led the team and propelled the defense.

“When your fifth-year kid is still getting better, that’s a good thing,”  head coach Courtney Banghart said.

North Carolina got out to an early 11-2 lead with the help of senior center Maria Gakdeng. Graduate guard Alyssa Ustby at the 3-point line threw the ball to Gakdeng under the net for an easy layup. Gakdeng played five minutes in the first quarter and scored six points. 

With three minutes remaining in the first, North Carolina brought out Thomas, first-year guard Lanie Grant, first-year guard Jordan Zubich, redshirt first-year guard Laila Hull and redshirt first-year forward Ciera Toomey. The substitutes closed the quarter out for UNC, maintaining a 20-7.

The Seahawks hoped to turn the momentum around, starting the second quarter with a 3-point jumper by Kate Hollifield. But UNC responded with Gakdeng’s layup and a 3-pointer from the right side by Donarski to put the Tar Heels up by 15 points. 

Six minutes later, Donarski passed the ball to Grant who swished the ball in the net and extended the lead 37-14.

The same play was called again. This time, it was Grant who sent the ball to the right corner for sophomore guard Reniya Kelly to down the three. 

The Tar Heels entered halftime with a commanding 40-16 lead. Despite the sizable advantage, Ustby struggled to make an impact, going 0-5 from the field and 0-2 from beyond the arc. 

Back on the court, Kelly was fouled by Isis Fitch and nailed her three fouls. 

With the ball on the ground from a steal by Donarski, Kelly scooped it up and threw it down the court where Donarski was open. She dribbled, faked and laid it up, putting the Tar Heels up by 31. The Seahawks called a timeout.

“My teammates have challenged me to do more,” Donarski said. “Put the ball on the floor more, win the paint more for myself, for my teammates and be more confident with the ball in my hand.” 

Wilmington started to surge back, with former Tar Heel Alexandra Zelaya closing the gap to 15 points after making a three. 

Junior guard Trayanna Crisp ended the third quarter with a layup to put UNC up 64-36. 

A steal by Ustby started the fourth and gave her room for a layup. 

The momentum from a pair of 3-pointers by Wilmington was responded by five points from Kelly’s layup and Crisp’s three.  

UNC would go on to give up another four points but held the Seahawks to only 50 total points.

“I thought we played to the score a little bit in the second half,” Banghart said. “Kind of lost the sharpness that we need to play with.”

The Tar Heels will be back in action at North Carolina A&T on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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