UNC women's basketball defeats Villanova 53-36 in Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals

The Tar Heels delivered a defensive performance that hasn’t been done in 14 years on Sunday afternoon. 

Although the UNC women's basketball team only scored 53 points — its lowest scoring output of the season so far — against Villanova, it didn't matter. North Carolina still won by 17 points, even while going 5-17 from behind the arc.

The defensive effort and intensity was the key to North Carolina’s 53-36 win over the Wildcats during the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals in the Bahamas. Villanova’s 36 points was the team's lowest scoring output in 14 years. The last time the Wildcats scored less than 36 points in a game was Dec. 2, 2010. It's also the fewest points allowed against a power conference team since 2007. 

“It felt like our team as a whole locked into our defensive game plan,” graduate forward Alyssa Ustby said. 

UNC compiled 10 steals off of Villanova's 21 turnovers during the defensive masterclass. But it was North Carolina’s ability to force tough and difficult shots that stole the spotlight. 

The Wildcats shot 24 percent from the field, making only 12 baskets in the game. This marked the sixth fewest field goals allowed under head coach Courtney Banghart. It was also the second lowest field goal percentage allowed by a Power Five team.

Coming into the game, first-year guard Jasmine Bascoe — who leads the Wildcat's scoring effort —  averaged a little under 17 points per game. After recording double figures in every game this season, Bascoe only scored two.

Sophomore guard Maddie Webber also produces in double figures, averaging 13 points per game, but the two star players combined for just 14 points on four of 20 from the field with seven turnovers.

“I feel like we had a full buy-in from all of our players just knowing their personnel, knowing what shots we want them to take and what we want to take away," graduate guard Lexi Donarski said.

Limiting Villanova’s high scoring backcourt was pivotal in containing a Wildcats offense that was averaging over 62.3 points per game.

“Two of their girls that we were worried about scoring a lot for them did not score a lot,” Ustby said. “So that's as simple as the game is in terms of a goal for [defense].” 

In particular, the third quarter was the best defensive quarter by the Tar Heels during the game. Villanova failed to make a field goal in the quarter, missing on all seven attempts. The Wildcats also had six turnovers in the 10 minute time frame.

The play on the defensive end led to productive offensive possessions, with UNC scoring 15 points off turnovers and finishing the game with 11 fast break points.

North Carolina's defense has performed at an elite level over the last two games in the Bahamas, allowing only 31 field goals in 102 attempts.

“I think it's a lot of fun when we are able to really lock in on our defensive game plan, which we’ve done really well for two days in a row and we need to have one more day of that,” Donarski said.

And in a game where Ustby and Donarski combined for 28 points and every other UNC player failed to score over five points, the defense mattered more than ever.

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