UNC’s defense limited Western Illinois to just 17 made shots in 40 minutes as the No. 4 seeded Tar Heels defeated the No. 13 Leathernecks 82-51 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday in Carmichael Arena. It’s Carolina’s fifth consecutive win in the tournament’s Round of 64 under head coach Courtney Banghart.
Lanie Grant, Nyla Harris, Indya Nivar and Nyla Brooks combined for 57 of UNC’s 82 points. Carolina won comfortably despite struggling on three-point attempts; UNC shot just 10-40 (25.0 percent) from deep after finishing the season as the ACC’s leading three-point shooting team. The Tar Heels were much more efficient on two-pointers, shooting 20-29 (68.9 percent). Harris recorded her sixth double-double of the season, combining her 17 points with a game-high 12 rebounds.
For Western Illinois, leading scorer Mia Nicastro scored 21 points but was limited in her efficiency. Nicastro, who entered the day as the NCAA’s fourth leading scorer at better than 24 points per game, shot 6-15 from the field.
Carolina controlled the paint, outrebounding the Leathernecks 47-32 and scoring 38 paint points to Western Illinois’ 10. UNC also scored 16 second-chance points compared to the Leathernecks’ five. The Tar Heel defense also limited Western Illinois’ outside shooting, as the Leathernecks made just two three-pointers on the day. It’s the sixth time this season UNC has limited a team to two or fewer three-point makes.
The Tar Heels led 38-24 at halftime, then blew the game open by outscoring Western Illinois 17-3 in the first 6:40 of the second half. Grant and Aarnisalo each made threes during the run.
With Friday’s win, Carolina is now 25-1 in NCAA Tournament games played in Chapel Hill. Up next, the Tar Heels will face No. 5 seed Maryland, which defeated No. 12 Murray State in the day’s first game in Chapel Hill, Sunday. The winner of that game will advance to the Sweet 16 in Fort Worth, TX.
Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward
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 newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
UNC's Elina Aarnisalo Entering Transfer Portal After 1 Year in Chapel HillSophomore guard Elina Aarnisalo, who transferred to UNC for the 2025-26 season after spending her freshman year at UCLA, is entering the transfer portal once again. According to Talia Goodman of On3 Sports, Aarnisalo entered the portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag. BREAKING: North Carolina’s Elina Aarnisalo has entered the transfer portal with a […]
UNC Freshman Taliyah Henderson to Enter Transfer PortalTaliyah Henderson, who spent her freshman season with UNC, has announced her intention to enter the transfer portal when it opens Monday, April 6. Henderson made the announcement on social media Thursday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/yQoYiWcE8a — Taliyah Henderson (@taliyah_hend3) April 2, 2026 Henderson was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 27 overall player in […]
UNC Sophomore Guard Lanie Grant to Enter Transfer PortalSophomore guard Lanie Grant, who helped lead UNC to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2025 and 2026, will enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens Monday, April 6. Grant made the announcement on social media Wednesday evening. Proud of everything we accomplished over the past two years with my teammates and coaches, and so […]
UNC Women's Basketball Falls to No. 1 UConn in NCAA Sweet 16UNC could not generate enough offense to run with No. 1 UConn in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 in Fort Worth, TX Friday evening, falling to the undefeated Huskies 63-42. The Tar Heels’ season is over in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. The Tar Heels struggled against a suffocating UConn defense all […]
UNC Women's Basketball in the 2026 NCAA Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off TimesCarolina will compete in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Tar Heels will face No. 1 overall seed and defending champion UConn in Fort Worth, TX Friday. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to […]
UNC Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Opponent Breakdown: UConnUNC will play in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season Friday in Fort Worth, TX. If Carolina wants to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014, it will have to spring a major upset over the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and defending champion: UConn. The Huskies are […]
Chansky's Notebook: On the RiseCourtney Banghart has the pieces in place to take the UNC women's basketball program to the next level in the coming years.
UNC Women's Basketball Beats No. 5 Seed Maryland to Advance to NCAA Sweet 16No. 4 seed UNC outscored No. 5 Maryland 24-16 in the fourth quarter and beat the Terrapins 74-66 in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 at Carmichael Arena Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels now advance to the tournament’s Sweet 16, which will be played in Fort Worth, TX next week. SO 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙏. pic.twitter.com/ZfyaHTTQsx — Carolina […]
UNC Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Opponent Breakdown: MarylandNo. 4 seed UNC will face No. 5 seed Maryland Sunday at Carmichael Arena with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. The winner will play in the regional semifinals in Fort Worth, TX next week. Carolina is seeking its second consecutive trip to the Sweet 16. The Terrapins defeated No. 12 seed […]
UNC Women's Basketball Throttles Western Illinois in NCAA Tournament 1st RoundUNC’s defense limited Western Illinois to just 17 made shots in 40 minutes as the No. 4 seeded Tar Heels defeated the No. 13 Leathernecks 82-51 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday in Carmichael Arena. It’s Carolina’s fifth consecutive win in the tournament’s Round of 64 under head coach Courtney Banghart. Round […]
›
