Making the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Courtney Banghart, the No. 10 seed UNC women’s basketball team came up short in Monday’s First Round–falling 80-71 to No. 7 seed Alabama in San Antonio.

Senior guard Stephanie Watts was tremendous for the Tar Heels (13-11), making seven of her 11 three-point attempts on the way to a team-high 29 points. UNC also received 16 points and nine rebounds from senior forward Janelle Bailey.

Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, Alabama had its own spectacular performance from a senior guard–as Jordan Lewis ended the day with 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, numbers that ranked either first or second on the Crimson Tide (17-9) in all categories.

Behind Lewis’ efforts, Alabama took the lead in the opening minutes and held onto it for the rest of the game.

The Crimson Tide led by 10 points at halftime and never let UNC pull closer than five points at any time during the second half despite Watts’ spirited efforts to bring the Tar Heels back.

For the game, UNC shot just 37 percent and connected on only 16 of its 46 attempts from inside the three-point line. Alabama also had a massive edge in the rebounding department, grabbing 46 rebounds compared to only 33 for the Tar Heels.

In addition, Tar Heel freshman point guard Deja Kelly struggled mightily in her first taste of NCAA Tournament action, scoring just seven points on 1-for-13 shooting from the floor.

This ends a season filled with plenty of growing pains for a young, but talented UNC roster. With the No. 2 recruiting class in the country set to join the Tar Heels next season, there should be plenty more NCAA Tournament appearances on the horizon for Banghart and her team.

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Women's Basketball Earns At-Large Bid to NCAA Tournament as No. 10 Seed
Head coach Courtney Banghart and the UNC women’s basketball team are officially going dancing in Texas, as the Tar Heels earned an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament on Monday. UNC was given a No. 10 seed in the Hemisfair Region and will take on No. 7 seed Alabama in San Antonio next Monday at […]
Alabama Hands UNC Women's Basketball First Loss of the Season
Despite having all five starters score in double figures on Sunday in Tuscaloosa, the UNC women’s basketball suffered its first loss of the 2019-20 regular season–falling 83-77 to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Guard Medinah Muhammad led the Tar Heels (8-1) with 20 points in the game, while senior Taylor Koenen was just behind her with […]
Stanford Overcomes Late Deficit, Defeats UNC Women's Basketball in Overtime
Stanford scored the final four points of regulation and then outscored UNC 12-6 in overtime to beat the Tar Heels 77-71 at Carmichael Arena Sunday. It’s UNC’s second home overtime loss of the season. Carolina had held the lead since using a 9-0 run in the second quarter to take a 30-23 advantage. The Tar […]
UNC Women's Basketball vs. Stanford (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will look to extend its winning streak to five games when it hosts Stanford at Carmichael Arena Sunday afternoon. It will be the first visit the Cardinal have made to Chapel Hill as an ACC foe. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule […]
UNC Women's Basketball Pulls Away in 2nd Half to Beat Cal
UNC rang in the New Year by outscoring Cal 39-21 in the second half to beat the Bears 71-55 at Carmichael Arena Thursday afternoon. Rang in the New Year on Top! 🎉@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/uarQft6Opf — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) January 1, 2026 The Tar Heels led 9-0 inside the first three minutes, but Cal […]
UNC Women's Basketball Uses Huge Runs to Crush Boston College
UNC used runs of 18-0 and 26-0 to soar past Boston College 90-39 Monday night in its return from the holiday break. The win is Carolina’s first in ACC play this season. 𝗦𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗗 to an ACC Road Win!@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/TMRkCfdpx7 — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) December 30, 2025 The 18-0 run came after the […]
UNC Women's Basketball Rolls Past Charleston Southern in Non-Conference Finale
Carolina led by 25 points at halftime and cruised from there to a 93-74 win against Charleston Southern at Carmichael Arena Sunday afternoon. It was UNC’s final non-conference game of the regular season. Wrapped up non-conference play with a 𝘿𝙐𝘽 🎁@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/GLT8cDkXr1 — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) December 21, 2025 The Tar Heel […]
UNC Women's Basketball Dominates UNC-Wilmington in 50-Point Win
UNC bounced back from its overtime loss to Louisville last weekend in a big way Wednesday night, beating UNC-Wilmington 84-34 at Carmichael Arena. That's a Carolina 𝑾𝑰𝑵!@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/MBSQA4SVcl — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) December 18, 2025 Carolina’s defense limited the Seahawks all night, forcing UNC-Wilmington into more turnovers (22) than made shots (14) […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Rise to No. 12, Women Drop to No. 18
Both UNC basketball teams moved in the latest AP Polls, which were released Monday. The men’s team rose two spots from No. 14 to No. 12 (its highest of the season), while the women’s team dropped six spots from No. 12 to No. 18 (its lowest of the season). The men’s team played only once […]
UNC Women's Basketball Falters Late in Overtime Loss to No. 22 Louisville
No. 22 Louisville used a 13-0 run across the fourth quarter and overtime to rally from a late deficit and beat UNC 76-66 in Carmichael Arena Sunday evening. “We didn’t play very well, unfortunately,” head coach Courtney Banghart said afterward. “Didn’t love our shots. I think everybody played with their desire. They wanted it so […]
›