A suffocating defensive effort powered the No. 12 UNC women’s basketball team past TCU Saturday afternoon in Carmichael Arena. Despite relatively pedestrian offensive numbers, the Tar Heels still dominated the Horned Frogs in a 75-48 win.
After trailing after the first quarter and leading by just six points at halftime, Carolina used a 27-6 third quarter to put the Horned Frogs well out of reach. Junior guard Deja Kelly caught fire in the period, scoring nine points on 3-4 shooting. She finished the game with a jam-packed stat line of 12 points, six rebounds and a team-high seven assists.
Along with Kelly, four other Tar Heels scored in double figures. Alyssa Ustby and Kennedy Todd-Williams tied for team lead with 14 points, Anya Poole scored 10 and Destiny Adams poured in 10 of her own off the bench. Adams’ efficient day saw her shoot 5-7 from the floor and grab seven rebounds in just 19 minutes. The point and rebound totals equaled career highs for the sophomore wing from New Jersey.
UNC shot just 45 percent from the floor, 17 percent on three-pointers and 64 percent on free throws, but its defense held TCU to a miniscule 25 percent shooting percentage. The Horned Frogs made just five two-point field goals on the day and turned the ball over 24 times.
Though head coach Courtney Banghart played just eight players in the game (Teonni Key, Ariel Young and Kayla McPherson all once again sat out), all eight scored at least two points and played at least 10 minutes. Six Tar Heels ended the day with at least five rebounds, part of a dominating effort on the glass which saw Carolina out-rebound the Horned Frogs 47-30. The size advantage also manifested itself in a shocking points in the paint disparity: UNC scored 46, and TCU scored just eight.
Carolina, which has won its first two games by a combined 69 points and is on a 17-game regular-season non-conference winning streak, will be back in action on Wednesday at 11 a.m. The Tar Heels will host South Carolina State in Carmichael Arena.
Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter
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