Makeshift UNC lineup excels against Lipscomb in 95-53 win

The No. 18 North Carolina women’s basketball team was without half of its starting frontcourt duo when it faced Lipscomb in Chapel Hill Wednesday night.

But Krista Gross filled in for injured Laura Broomfield just fine in UNC’s 95-53 rout.

The junior slid down from small forward to power forward and fit in so seamlessly that she wound up with a career-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. Gross, who scored 13 quick points in the first half, said she didn’t realize how much she had actually scored.

“I had no idea,” she said. “I really just play wherever they put me. I’ve been working on both.”

Both starters down low wound up with career-highs for the Tar Heels, as leading scorer Chay Shegog finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high five blocks on the night.

Shegog said she’s able to play the same regardless of who she’s teaming up with down low, whether that be Broomfield or Gross.

“It’s really not much different because both of them can score, and both of them rebound,” Shegog said. “The only difference I can think of is that Krista is more comfortable stepping out and shooting the three.”

While Gross did hit an early three, the most surprising performance Wednesday night was that of Candace Wood — the daughter of legendary UNC men’s basketball star Al Wood.

A junior who’s missed two seasons with knee injuries and, before the game against Lipscomb, was averaging just more than nine minutes per game, Wood played 23 minutes against the Bisons and contributed 14 points.

“I love (my father). It’s amazing,” Wood said. “He always calls me before the games and gets me ready. He’s always emphasizing, ‘be ready to shoot.’”

Wood was ready to shoot and was on fire in the first half. She scored 12 points on 4-5 shooting from 3-point range and helped UNC jump out to a 21-point halftime lead.

That lead was built despite the fact that Shannon Smith, Latifah Coleman, Waltiea Rolle and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt joined Broomfield on the sidelines, a group that coach Slyvia Hatchell said would be a formidable starting lineup.

“You could take the five that aren’t out there and beat a lot of people,” Hatchell said. “Yeah, I’d take that five and put them against just about anybody.”

North Carolina could have all of them except Coleman back at some point this season — the sophomore is out for the season after tearing her ACL against Presbyterian — but it had to rely more heavily on Wood and its freshmen to contribute Wednesday night than Hatchell would like

But those freshmen didn’t disappoint against Lipscomb. Megan Buckland, Danielle Butts and Brittany Rountree started Wednesday night and combined for 26 points, 10 steals and nine assists.

Butts played particularly well, brining a lot of energy and athleticism to the floor for the Tar Heels in her 22 minutes. Butts said she was nervous for her first college start but those nerves calmed in the second half — when she scored all of her 16 points.

“I was happy, but I was so nervous,” she said. “The game came to me a little better (in the second half), and I got a lot of positive feedback from my teammates, which encouraged me.”

Hatchell said nothing has surprised her about these freshman aside from the fact that she’s needed them to start so early in their careers.

“I knew these freshmen were going to be good,” Hatchell said. “I keep saying it’s a mentality you have to have and all three of those players finished their high school careers with a win. They all won championships.

“That makes a difference; they expect to win.”