Alyssa Ustby scored 10 points and added nine rebounds to become UNC’s all-time leading rebounder as the No. 3 seed Tar Heels defeated No. 14 seed Oregon State 70-49 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Carmichael Arena Saturday afternoon. It was the first NCAA Tournament game to be played at Carmichael since 2015.

“It’s hard to come to a place like this and do something that hasn’t been done before,” head coach Courtney Banghart said of Ustby after the game. “I’m super proud that I get to be the one that coached her, the one who has now the rebound record at the University of North Carolina.”

Lexi Donarski made her first five three-point attempts of the third quarter to help the Tar Heels blow open what had been a close game. The visiting Beavers led briefly in the second quarter, outscoring Carolina 15-11 in the period to enter halftime trailing 26-24. UNC shot just 12-34 (35.3 percent) in the first half.

Donarski’s offensive explosion saw her score her team’s first 14 points of the third quarter after finishing the first half with only two. By the time Donarski’s fifth three found the bottom of the net, UNC led 49-31 and had blitzed the Beavers 23-7 in the opening seven minutes of the second half. The third quarter ended with UNC leading 56-33, the Tar Heels having outscored Oregon State 30-9 and shooting 11-17 (64.7 percent) in the process. Carolina would lead by as many as 25 points early in the fourth.

“I feel like we came out with a different mentality in that third quarter and that just really pushed us forward,” Donarski said.

Donarski led all scorers with 19 points and finished 5-8 on threes. Maria Gakdeng added 13 on 5-8 shooting. Ten different Tar Heels scored. Ustby grabbed her ninth and record-setting rebound midway through the fourth quarter, giving her 1,252 in her UNC career and moving her past Bernadette McGlade into first place on the program’s all-time rebounding list. McGlade played her last game as a Tar Heel in 1980.

“I know what I came here to do, which is to give my college career my all and try to make an impact, and I want to be a part of a team that makes it really far in March and wins a championship,” Ustby said. “So that’s what we’re set to do and our sights are set on that, but maybe further down the road I’ll zoom out and appreciate [the record] a little bit more.”

UNC’s defense suffocated the Oregon State offense, holding the Beavers to 19-54 (35.2 percent) from the floor. Oregon State made only four threes on the day, one shy of the amount Donarski made in a seven-minute span in the third quarter. The Beavers’ 49-point showing marks the eighth time this season the Tar Heels have held an opponent to fewer than 50 points.

The win improves UNC to 28-7 on the season and is the program’s fourth straight win in the NCAA Tournament’s first round. The Tar Heels will face No. 6 seed West Virginia in the second round Monday in Chapel Hill.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Ben McKeown

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
‹
NC State Smothers UNC Women's Basketball in ACC Semifinals
Carolina couldn’t find a way through a stingy NC State defense Saturday afternoon in the ACC semifinals in Greensboro, as the Tar Heels posted their worst shooting day of the season in a 66-55 loss to the top-seeded Wolfpack. “We just didn’t play very well,” said head coach Courtney Banghart after the game. “You can’t […]
UNC Women's Basketball Fights Past Florida State, Advances to ACC Semifinals
A pair of clutch baskets from Reniya Kelly in her return to the court helped UNC overcome a poor shooting day and defeat No. 4 seed Florida State in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals in Greensboro Friday. The Tar Heels will advance to the ACC semifinals for the first time since 2014. 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐂 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐒 🩵 See […]
UNC Women's Basketball Uses Late Run to Beat Boston College in ACC Tournament
UNC ended the game on a 24-8 run to overcome a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter and defeat No. 12 seed Boston College 78-71 in the second round of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro Thursday afternoon. 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘.#InPursuit x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/E3nJc3dPB3 — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) March 6, 2025 The Tar Heels got […]
UNC Women's Basketball Falls to No. 2 Duke in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
UNC women’s basketball put up its worst offensive showing of the season in a 47-38 loss to No. 2 seed Duke in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 Friday afternoon in Birmingham, AL, ending Carolina’s tournament run. The poor showing came after an extremely bright start for the Tar Heels, who led 11-0 midway through the […]
UNC Women's Basketball in the 2025 NCAA Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
No. 3 seed UNC is headed to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022, and the Tar Heels will face No. 2 seed Duke in Birmingham, AL Friday for the right to advance to the regional finals Sunday. If you aren’t making the trip with the Tar Heels, here’s how to […]
Chansky's Notebook: Happening Again
UNC and Duke faced each other for the first time in the NCAA Tournament three years ago. It's happening again today with their women’s teams.
UNC Women's Basketball Opponent Breakdown: Duke
No. 3 seed UNC will face a familiar opponent in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 Friday afternoon: No. 2 seed Duke, which defeated No. 15 Lehigh and No. 10 Oregon to reach the regional semifinals. The Blue Devils are 28-7 overall this season and finished 14-4 in ACC play. Here’s a quick breakdown of Duke: […]
Chansky's Notebook: Women Move On!
UNC's second-round win against West Virginia was a special home send-off for the team's seniors, including Alyssa Ustby.
UNC Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Opponent Breakdown: West Virginia
UNC will take on No. 6 seed West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament’s second round Monday night for the right to advance to the Sweet 16. The Mountaineers defeated No. 11 seed Columbia 78-59 in the first round Saturday and are 25-7 overall this season. They finished with a 13-5 record in the Big 12 […]
Ustby Sets Record as UNC Women's Basketball Beats Oregon State in NCAA Tournament
Alyssa Ustby scored 10 points and added nine rebounds to become UNC’s all-time leading rebounder as the No. 3 seed Tar Heels defeated No. 14 seed Oregon State 70-49 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Carmichael Arena Saturday afternoon. It was the first NCAA Tournament game to be played at Carmichael since […]
›