UNC women's basketball reflects on a tough non-conference schedule as ACC play approaches

CHARLOTTE — The UNC women’s basketball team has played 52 quarters of basketball this season. 

Forty-eight came in non-conference. Twelve in ranked matchups. Twenty in neutral site games. And sixteen in invitationals.

But there are only three quarters that head coach Courtney Banghart hated. 

The first quarter versus UConn, and the first and second quarters against Georgia Tech. 

“That fuels us honestly,” Banghart said. “I’ve watched them back. As soon as you get comfortable we remind them of what we were when we’re not.”

After beating Florida in the Jumpman Invitational, 77-57, on Wednesday evening, North Carolina has one non-conference game left against Norfolk State to conclude what has been a difficult slate. As the Tar Heels enter into an equally tough conference schedule, the differences between those three quarters and the other 49 provide a microcosm of the challenges and successes of the team. 

The most notable aspect of UNC’s offense this season has been its depth. Eight players have led the team in scoring this season in only 13 games. 

“We’re willing to play to the good shot, which, it’s really been spread out,” Banghart said. “We don’t go into the game saying, alright, we want to make sure you, and you, and you, and you and you each get six shots.” 

The Tar Heels only recorded three bench points in those three tumultuous quarters. 

North Carolina knows how to maintain control of the ball. The team has the eighth fewest turnovers in the nation, averaging just 11.2 turnovers per game. 

And while turnovers weren’t a huge issue against Georgia Tech, UNC turned the ball over 15 times against UConn — its toughest non-conference opponent — seven times in that first quarter. 

On the defensive end, North Carolina has found consistency in forcing opponents into their second actions. The Tar Heels rank 19th in the country in field goal percentage against, holding their opponents to 34.6 percent shooting. 

But UConn shot 45 percent from the field in the first half, and Georgia Tech shot 56 percent. 

Of course, while those three quarters resulted in UNC's two losses this season, the lessons those games have taught provide fuel for the team. 

“I think we’ve learned to trust each other through hard moments and adversity,” first-year guard Lanie Grant said. “Because, obviously we’re not undefeated. So, we’ve all had to come back and self-reflect, and there’s no big personalities on this team that make that difficult and we continue to grow."

Grant and senior center Maria Gakdeng, who were the top two scorers against Florida and combined for 27 points on Wednesday, exemplify the versatility that has made UNC’s offense work through the non-conference schedule and into the beginning of ACC play. 

Gakdeng is a consistent starter and the team’s primary force under the basket. But as those three quarters demonstrated, veteran presence isn’t enough against tough opponents. 

That’s where Grant, and several of the other young players come into play. 

In the second quarter, Grant grabbed a bad pass from a defender and started to drive with the ball. At midcourt, she tried to pass to a veteran teammate on the perimeter, but the pass was deflected. But Grant didn’t panic. She grabbed the deflected pass and continued on, pulling up at the top of the key to nail the jumper. 

The guard has played in every game this season and, despite being only 17, has the same level of confidence as Gakdeng when she takes the floor. 

“Offensively we have different people that can score the ball, so I think we’re coming together really well,” Gakdeng said. “I think the non-conference really helped set up for the tough conference games that’ll come.”

@BeckettBrant

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com