Chansky's Notebook: Banghart's Biscuits

Did the Tar Heel women miss biscuits in their win over Wofford?

Frankly, I am not sure if the Bojangles basketball promotion about scoring 100 points in a game applies to the women as well as the men. But how the Tar Heels of Courtney Banghart fell short says way more about her program than getting a biscuit special for reaching that rare milestone.

In Carolina’s 99-67 Sunday romp over a Wofford team that had won seven straight, the Tar Heels broke it open and ran away from the Terriers in the first half and outscored them 71-41 the rest of the way.

They had 99 points for the last two minutes but failed to score again, largely due to the unselfishness Banghart’s teams have demonstrated since she arrived from Princeton almost four years ago.

Freshman Paulina Paris gave up an easy basket to pass to senior Ariel Young, who has been sidelined with a knee injury. A turnover resulted, but Banghart cared more about the intent than the mistake.

“It says a lot about our team when Paulina had a chance to score 100 and get 10 points for the game,” Banghart said, “and instead she wanted Ariel to have her first basket since being out so long. That kind of encapsulates what we’re all about.”

The eighth-ranked Heels look like the best team Banghart has had of the four so far, even better than last season’s NCAA Sweet Sixteen entry. They are athletic like Alyssa Ustby, who had 17 points and 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double, and strong like Eva Hodgson, who had five 3-pointers in six attempts. And they are not afraid to be very physical.

Banghart is building something special, and the former Dartmouth star player says the camaraderie of UNC athletics is unlike anything she has ever known. She joined several coaches, including retired Roy Williams, to attend the NCAA championship women’s soccer match and supports all of her peers.

And where many new coaches would not do it, she has embraced the tradition of her program as authentically as the many banners in Carmichael Arena earned by teams of her predecessor Sylvia Hatchell.

She also appears to be innovative beyond strategy. Rather than clearing her bench in a one-sided game, she mixes in her reserves so they can play with the starters and stars for the experience more than just “mopping up.”

However long it has been hanging in Carmichael, the largest banner sums up what Banghart is all about. It reads, “PLAYING AT CAROLINA IS AN HONOR. WINNING AT CAROLINA IS A TRADITION.”

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini

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Chansky’s Notebook: Banghart’s Biscuits

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