Deep in the heart of Texas, Deja Kelly enjoyed her homecoming.
The sophomore guard from San Antonio announced her return to the Lone Star State with authority Sunday afternoon, pouring in a career-high 25 points to lead the UNC women’s basketball team over TCU, 79-46. The 25 points led all players from either team.
The Tar Heels clearly didn’t struggle with the transition to Power 5 opponents after their 3-0 start, although the 33-point margin of victory is actually their smallest of the young season.
With Kelly leading the way, standout forward Alyssa Ustby played more of a supporting role in the offense, but still contributed 16 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end. Ustby played a team-high 38 of a possible 40 minutes against the Horned Frogs.
Carlie Littlefield played a season-high 35 minutes for head coach Courtney Banghart, scoring 14 points on 4-7 shooting while also dishing out three assists. Eva Hodgson led the Tar Heels in bench minutes with 25, and netted 11 points for her trouble.
But the night belonged to Kelly, as did many of Carolina’s offensive highlights. After UNC led by just seven points at halftime, Kelly fired up the Tar Heel bench by knocking down a three-pointer and drawing a shooting foul early in the third quarter, producing a rare four-point play opportunity. The foul sent Kelly sliding to the feet of Littlefield on the Carolina sideline.
Kelly continued to show off her complete offensive game as the half went on, hitting floaters and mid-range jumpers over the Horned Frogs defense. She certainly looked the part of a former McDonald’s All-American.
With Kelly on fire, the Tar Heels outscored TCU 50-24 in the second half, and 27-6 in the fourth quarter. What was once a tight game turned into yet another blowout for Banghart and company. The Carolina defense played a big part in that, holding the Horned Frogs to just 18-55 shooting on the night, including a 4-24 mark from three-point territory. No TCU player scored more than 10 points.
With a sparkling 4-0 start under its belt, UNC will break for the Thanksgiving holiday before hitting the courts on Black Friday in the Bahamas. Carolina will take on VCU and Washington in back-to-back days as part of the Goombay Splash tournament.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications
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