The UNC women’s basketball team had no trouble with Gardner-Webb in its season opener on Wednesday night, using a 40-point third quarter to cruise past the Runnin’ Bulldogs 102-49 at Carmichael Arena. It’s Carolina’s first time reaching 100 points since December 2021.

Despite not starting, Stanford transfer Indya Nivar stole the show in her first appearance as a Tar Heel, registering a double-double with a 17 points (a game-high) and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. Included in her scoring total is a shot from beyond half-court as the buzzer sounded on the first quarter, which gave UNC a 12-point lead after 10 minutes.

Nivar was one of five players to make their Carolina debut Wednesday night. Three of them started for head coach Courtney Banghart: Boston College transfer Maria Gakdeng, Iowa State transfer Lexi Donarski and true freshman Reniya Kelly. Kelly became the first true freshman to start in her UNC debut since Deja Kelly (no relation) did so at the beginning of the 2020-21 season. Reniya Kelly finished with four points.

Gakdeng proved to be efficient in the paint, scoring 13 points on 5-6 shooting and grabbing six rebounds in just 15 minutes of play. Senior Alyssa Ustby led the team in boards with 12 (six offensive, six defensive) as she seeks to defend her team rebounding title from a year ago.

Donarski, who started alongside Gakdeng, Reniya Kelly, Deja Kelly and Ustby, scored 14 points in her Tar Heel debut. Twelve of those points came in the red-hot third quarter, in which the former Cyclone shot a perfect 4-4 on three-pointers. As a team, UNC shot 16-23 (69.6 percent) in the period and 22-40 (55 percent) in the second half to push the scoreline over 100 points.

From a team efficiency standpoint, the Tar Heels shined. Carolina totaled 22 assists against just 10 turnovers on the night after posting a 0.9-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last season. That mark includes a 20-assist, 16-turnover showing in last year’s season opener against Jackson State.

The only negative of the evening was who didn’t play for Carolina: guard Kayla McPherson and forward Teonni Key did not dress, and Key was seen wearing a walking boot. Both have struggled with injuries during their time in Chapel Hill, as each missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season.

The Tar Heels have won their season opener in each of the program’s five seasons under Banghart. The team will try to move to 2-0 on Sunday night at 6 p.m. when it hosts Davidson at Carmichael Arena.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Women's Basketball Outlasts Michigan State in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
No. 8 seed Carolina roared out to a fast start and endured a nervy finish to win 59-56 against No. 9 seed Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Columbia, S.C. on Friday afternoon. UNC will advance to the second round to face either No. 1 South Carolina or No. 16 […]
UNC Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Opponent Breakdown: Michigan State
The No. 8 seed UNC women’s basketball team will face No. 9 seed Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday morning in Columbia, S.C. The Spartans come in with a 22-8 overall record and 12-6 mark in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten. If you aren’t familiar with Michigan State’s body of […]
UNC Women's Basketball Earns No. 8 Seed in Albany 1 Regional of NCAA Tournament
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 […]
UNC Women's Basketball Blows Another Double-Digit Lead in ACC Tournament Loss
For the third time this season, the UNC women’s basketball team blew a double-digit lead in a 60-59 loss to Miami in the ACC Tournament’s second round on Thursday afternoon. This time, Carolina led by 14 in the first half but went through offensive doldrums in the second half as the Hurricanes rallied. Deja Kelly […]
UNC Women's Basketball in the 2024 ACC Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Times
The UNC women’s basketball team will begin play in the ACC Tournament on Thursday in Greensboro. The Tar Heels are the No. 8 seed in the field and will face No. 9 Miami in the second round. The winner of that game will face No. 1 Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals on Friday. If you […]
UNC's Deja Kelly Named 1st Team All-ACC; Alyssa Ustby 2nd Team
Two UNC women’s basketball stars earned all-conference honors from the ACC on Tuesday afternoon. Senior Deja Kelly was named first team All-ACC, while fellow senior Alyssa Ustby earned second team honors. Conference honors for our captains 🤩 🔗 https://t.co/rs0S4ChyVw#GoHeels | @dejakelly25 | @alyssaustby pic.twitter.com/hLnje2Hhc0 — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) March 5, 2024 It’s the third […]
Here's the Complete Bracket for the 2024 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament
The 2024 ACC women’s basketball tournament begins on Wednesday in Greensboro and runs through Sunday. Come back to this page throughout the week for updates on the bracket! The championship game in the tournament is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 10 and will air on ESPN. Every other game of the 2024 ACC […]
UNC Women's Basketball Beats Duke in Regular-Season Finale
The UNC women’s basketball team celebrated an emotional Senior Night at Carmichael Arena in the best possible way: a win over rival Duke. The Tar Heels got revenge on the Blue Devils with a 63-59 win on Sunday afternoon. Duke had won the first meeting in overtime on February 11. That #BeatDuke feeling #GoHeels | […]
UNC Women's Basketball vs. Duke (2024): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
The UNC women’s basketball team will look to close out the regular season on a high note when it hosts Duke at Carmichael Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels have won the last two home games against the Blue Devils. Sunday is also Senior Day for UNC’s Deja Kelly, Alyssa Ustby, Anya Poole and […]
Comeback Falls Short as UNC Women's Basketball Loses at Boston College
The UNC women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome an 18-point fourth quarter deficit at Boston College on Thursday evening, as the Tar Heels fell to the Eagles on the road, 78-74. Boston College came into the night just 3-13 in conference play. Records went out the window as soon as the ball was tipped, as BC […]
›