Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels are back in the Big Dance.

The UNC women’s basketball team will play as the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s Albany 1 Regional. Carolina will face No. 9 seed Michigan State in Columbia, S.C. in the first round on Friday at 11:30 a.m. The winner will almost certainly take on No. 1 overall seed and sectional host South Carolina in the second round.

UNC finished the season 19-12 overall and 11-7 in ACC play. The Tar Heels earned wins against several national contenders, including ACC Tournament champion Notre Dame on the road, NC State at home and Oklahoma at a neutral site. All three of those teams are in the NCAA Tournament field. The Sooners are the No. 5 seed in Carolina’s region.

This is Carolina’s fourth straight season qualifying for the NCAA Tournament under Banghart. UNC made the Sweet 16 in 2022 (where it lost to No. 1 overall seed South Carolina) and the round of 32 in 2023. Carolina hasn’t reached the Final Four since 2007.

For a full look at the tournament bracket, click here.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Dani Meersman


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