Redshirt freshman guard Kayla McPherson made the most of her first collegiate start. Leading a shorthanded UNC women’s basketball team missing three starters, McPherson scored a career-high 22 points to guide the Tar Heels past Boston College, 73-55, at Carmichael Arena Sunday afternoon.

Alyssa Ustby and Eva Hodgson, each of whom missed Carolina’s loss at Syracuse Thursday, were joined on the injury report by junior forward Anya Poole, who suffered an upper-body injury against the Orange. Poole had started every game for the Tar Heels dating back to the beginning of the 2021-22 season.

But against Boston College at least, the Tar Heels didn’t miss a beat. The backcourt of McPherson, Deja Kelly and Kennedy Todd-Williams combined for 50 of Carolina’s 73 points, with freshman Paulina Paris adding in nine off the bench. McPherson was the only Tar Heel to shoot above 50 percent with at least five attempts, finishing 9-17 from the floor and 4-7 from three-point range. Though she’s only played five games in her career thus far, McPherson’s 11.6 points per game rank fourth on the team, behind only Kelly, Todd-Williams and Ustby.

McPherson also grabbed six rebounds in a team effort on the glass. Even without Ustby, the team’s leading rebounder, UNC outrebounded the Eagles 38-33. Todd-Williams led the team with nine, and four Tar Heels grabbed at least six. That includes redshirt freshman Teonni Key, who was also making her first career start. Alexandra Zelaya joined Todd-Williams, Key, McPherson and Kelly in head coach Courtney Banghart’s makeshift starting lineup and finished with a team-high five assists.

Sixteen of McPherson’s 22 points came in the first half, including ten in the first quarter to help Carolina fight through some offensive struggles. No other Tar Heel had more than four points in the opening 10 minutes. But those woes were offset by a strong effort on defense, as the team’s 55 points allowed were its fewest since giving up just 47 to NC State on January 15. Boston College finished just 18-47 (38.3 percent) from the field and 10-27 on two-point shots. Carolina also forced a season-high 25 turnovers, which turned into 30 points on the other end.

The win snaps UNC’s brief two-game losing streak and ups the team’s record to 18-7 overall and 9-5 in ACC play, still in contention for a top 4 spot in the conference tournament and a double-bye. Carolina also improves to 12-1 at home this season. But the next game up will come in perhaps the most hostile environment the team will face all year: NC State’s Reynolds Coliseum. The Tar Heels haven’t won in Raleigh under Banghart, and the Wolfpack will be hungry for revenge after falling in Chapel Hill earlier this season. That game will tip off Thursday night at 8 p.m. on ACC Network.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

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