Graduate guard Lexi Donarski's scorching shooting in the second half was paramount for the Tar Heels. Donarski netted six threes on the night, and all five of her second half attempts. She led the Tar Heels in scoring with 22 points.
"There were a lot of big plays down the stretch," head coach Courtney Banghart said. "A lot of not so good plays down the stretch. But for a relatively new roster, how they handle adversity is a good sign."
Duke was held to just one shot in the first half, and seven shots on the game — tied for the second lowest mark of the season for Duke. The Tar Heels took home their seventh consecutive ACC Championship on Friday night with a 2-0 win.
The Tar Heels’ defense came up with three consecutive game defining stops on penalty corners in the third quarter that typified the Tar Heels’ lock-tight defense on the night.
Returning sophomore forward Jalen Washington said that it’s been different adjusting to seven new faces on the team — five transfers and two first-years. However, he said the adjustment is going well because of efforts the team has been making to bond.
Even when the team wasn’t on the court practicing this offseason, they were constantly fueling their competitive fire. With eight new faces — five first-years and three transfers — head coach Courtney Banghart said it’s important to establish good team chemistry early.
Ultimately, it was UNC’s defense that paved the way for the Tar Heels’ win. Following the late first quarter goal, the Hawks were held scoreless on three shots in the second half.
Welcome to a new season of Hark The Pod from The Daily Tar Heel! Sports editor Shelby Swanson, assistant sports editors Daniel Wei and Gwen Peace, sports managing editor Lucas Thomae and sports staff writer Ben McCormick discuss Drake Maye's performance during the UNC football season opener and talk predictions for the upcoming game against App State. Listen now to get your weekly dose of UNC sports updates and banter.
Cleaning up the offense and stopping the run game will be crucial focus points for North Carolina as it looks to defeat Appalachian State on Saturday.
When UNC football head coach Mack Brown took to the podium at the 2023 ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, N.C., he made one thing clear about UNC’s schedule: It will be physical.
Welcome to a new season of Hark The Pod from The Daily Tar Heel! Sports editor Shelby Swanson, assistant sports editors Daniel Wei and Gwen Peace, sports managing editor Lucas Thomae and sports staff writer Ben McCormick discuss Drake Maye's performance during the UNC football season opener and talk predictions for the upcoming game against App State. Listen now to get your weekly dose of UNC sports updates and banter.
