There didn’t appear to be a hangover from Sunday for head coach Courtney Banghart and the No. 24 UNC women’s basketball team.

Following a gutsy but disappointing 66-58 loss to No. 3 NC State in Carmichael Arena, the Tar Heels got back to their winning ways Thursday night in Winston-Salem, jumping all over Wake Forest right from the tip-off and cruising to a 78-59 win.

“After the week that we just had, I was worried there’d be a letdown,” Banghart said after the game. “But this group is really focused.”

The win is Carolina’s 17th in 21 games this season, which is already the program’s most regular season wins since the 2014-15 season. It also marked a major milestone for Banghart: the 300th win in her head coaching career.

“It means I’m getting old,” she said.

As for the younger members of the team, sophomore forward Alyssa Ustby was back in double-double form again, pouring in 18 points on 7-14 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds. It’s Ustby’s first double-double since January 6, and her eighth on the season.

Of Ustby’s 18 points, 14 came in the first half, in which the Tar Heels smothered the Demon Deacons on defense, only allowing six points in the first quarter and nine in the second. Carolina forced 12 Wake Forest turnovers, which it then turned into 14 points.

“Our guys just totally punched,” Banghart said, “And stayed cohesive through kind of an up-and-down, sloppy type of game.”

The backcourt duo of sophomores Kennedy Todd-Williams and Deja Kelly made a difference on both offense and defense against the Deacons. Kelly broke out of a recent slump, which included zero points on Sunday against the Wolfpack, with 12 points Thursday night. It’s her first time scoring in double figures in the last four games.

“Once she made that first pull-up, I just knew that took the lid off the basket,” Ustby said. “She’s going up from here.”

Todd-Williams, meanwhile, continued her consistent play with 14 points. She’s scored in double figures in six straight games, including lines of 15, 15 and 14 points in her last three. Todd-Williams also swiped four of UNC’s 11 steals, two of which came in a second quarter which saw Carolina outscore Wake Forest 24-9. The Tar Heels led 40-15 at halftime.

The second quarter has been a memorable one for Carolina recently. UNC has won the period in four of its last five games, and held opponents to single digits in each instance.

“This first five is getting so experienced together,” Banghart said. “There’s just no weak link in the group. They know the job at hand… we’re just trying to stack as many ACC wins as we can.”

Banghart and the Tar Heels currently sit in sixth place in conference standings with a 7-4 record, behind Virginia Tech (7-3) and ahead of Boston College (6-5). UNC holds head-to-head wins over both teams, but will visit Blacksburg for a critical road matchup with the Hokies on February 13. While breaking into the league’s top four for a potential double-bye in the ACC Tournament may be out of reach, Carolina can still leapfrog Virginia Tech into fifth place, which would be the team’s highest finish in conference play since the 2014-15 season.

A home win against Miami on Sunday would certainly be a good place to start. The Tar Heels have alternated wins and losses on the schedule since the beginning of January, and will look to piece together a new winning streak against the Hurricanes.

“It’s a huge week for us,” said Banghart. “So we’re looking forward to finishing our sweep on Sunday.”

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

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