In its last home game before Christmas, the No. 7 UNC women’s basketball team was giving out plenty of reasons for holiday cheer. The Tar Heels shot the lights out of Carmichael Arena Friday night against USC-Upstate, winning 89-47 to finish undefeated in non-conference home games for the third straight season.

Junior guard Deja Kelly led the way with her third 20-point game of the season, but every Tar Heel had a hand in ensuring the team shot a season-high 60.7 percent from the floor. It’s Carolina’s best shooting performance in four seasons under head coach Courtney Banghart, and the second consecutive game in which the team shot 50 percent or better. Kelly, who hadn’t shot better than 50 percent in a game all season, blew that mark out of the water by knocking in eight of 11 shots (72.7 percent).

Redshirt senior Eva Hodgson continued her torrid start to the year by pouring in 16 points of her own on 7-11 shooting. Hodgson also nabbed four of UNC’s 13 steals and is tied with Destiny Adams for the team lead this season with 19. Joining Kelly and Hodgson in double figures was freshman Paulina Paris, who scored a season-high 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench. Like Kelly, Paris had her best shooting performance of the season (6-9).

Carolina shot at least 56 percent in each quarter and finished with a 71 percent clip in the fourth. The 42-point margin of victory is the team’s largest since a 68-point destruction of South Carolina State in November.

Ten Tar Heels scored on the night and all 11 available players registered minutes (redshirt senior Ariel Young played two minutes but did not score). Carolina is still awaiting the return of redshirt freshman guard Kayla McPherson, who has not played at all this season while nursing a leg injury suffered during a practice.

One more non-conference game remains for the Tar Heels, and it promises to be a bit more challenging than USC-Upstate. Carolina will meet No. 19 Michigan in Charlotte on December 20 as part of the Jumpman Invitational. If UNC can beat the Wolverines, it would already be the team’s third ranked win of the season, equaling last season’s total in just the 11th game of the year. Tip-off for the marquee clash is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati

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