Brittany Rountree lights up N.C. State with four 3-pointers

Senior Brittany Rountree is the 3-point specialist for the No. 9 North Carolina women’s basketball team.

That’s who she is, that’s what she does. She averaged just 6.3 points per game entering Sunday’s game versus N.C. State.

But after junior Xlyina McDaniel went down with a lower leg injury, players have had to step up. Sophomore Jessica Washington scored 16 against Albany and sophomore Stephanie Mavunga put up 26 versus East Tennessee State.

And against N.C. State (9-5, 0-1 ACC) on Sunday, Rountree’s 3-point game helped picked up the slack for the Tar Heels.

The senior guard scored 14 points in a 72-56 victory over the Wolfpack, helping the Tar Heels (14-1, 1-0 ACC) win their first ACC game of the season.

Rountree drained her first three 3-point field goals and finished with four in the game. She is second on the team in 3-point shooting at 36.7 percent, only behind senior guard Latifah Coleman. 

In the game, Rountree was wearing a brace on her knee, but her concentration was never broken.

“It’s different having something on my leg, but other than that, I’m just focused on the game,” Rountree said.

With long-range shooting in particular, Rountree’s focus has been there since the season began in November.

During the season, Rountree has made 30 field goals and 22 of them have been from behind the arc. But in some instances versus the Wolfpack, Rountree showed that she can do more than just shoot.

In the first half, junior Danielle Butts cut across the baseline and Rountree tossed her a crisp alley-oop pass. And to open the second half, she rifled a cross-court pass to Mavunga for the easy transition lay-up.

Mavunga, who put up a game-high 23 points for the Tar Heels, said that Rountree will get in her head and push her to be a better player.

“Brittany is unselfish. She’s the most unselfish person I’ve ever played with,” Mavunga said. “Brittany tells me ‘If you go right there, you’ll get the ball,’ and she passes it to me and it works. She’s been here for four years, she knows what she’s talking about.”

Coach Sylvia Hatchell believes Rountree is the definition of a utility player. Whether it’s on offense or defense, she knows that Rountree will be at the right spots and make the right plays.

“Brittany can do everything. She takes charges and she guards her man and yours too,” Hatchell said. “She’s our best off-the-ball defender and she has been since she’s gotten here. Shooting, passing, quick hands on defense — she’s just a really smart player.”

Rountree, soft-spoken and leader by example, is never one to demand the spotlight.

But she knows she can shoot, and she knows she has the green light to put the ball in the basket.

“I’m not thinking at all, I’m just shooting and letting it go,” Rountree said. “Like Coach Hatchell said, I’m a great shooter and my teammates believe in me, so why not?”