In the team's final non-conference matchup before the ACC schedule begins in earnest, the No. 25 North Carolina women’s basketball team (11-0, 1-0 ACC) defeated Alabama State (2-7, 0-0 SWAC) by a score of 83-47 at Carmichael Arena on Tuesday afternoon.
What happened?
The Tar Heels put the first points of the game on the board through a pair of layups by sophomore forward Anya Poole to earn an early 4-0 lead. Alabama State used a layup and a free throw to cut North Carolina’s lead to one point, but the Tar Heels responded by going on a 11-0 run, capped off by a pair of 3-pointers by sophomore guard Deja Kelly.
UNC increased its unanswered run to 17-0 before the Hornets were able to score again in the quarter. A jumper by Alabama State made it a 21-5 game, but the Tar Heels were able to make three free throws to close out the first quarter with a 24-5 lead.
North Carolina continued its dominance in the second quarter, putting up 26 points while only allowing the Hornets to score 15, which gave UNC a 50-20 lead heading into halftime. The Tar Heels finished the half going 14-for-24 on field goals and 20-for-27 on free throws.
The teams traded baskets in the third quarter, with North Carolina putting up 14 points and Alabama State scoring 12. The Tar Heels would then open the final quarter with a 16-2 run, to earn a 43-point lead, their largest of the game. The Hornets were able to put together a run of their own, a 10-3 run to finish the game 83-47 in favor of UNC.
Who stood out?
Four Tar Heels managed to reach double scoring figures. Kelly led with a team-high 16 points, while redshirt junior guard Eva Hodgson put up 14 and sophomores Poole and guard Kennedy Todd-Williams had 11 and 10 points, respectively. Todd-Williams had a complete performance against the Hornets, crashing the glass for a team-high seven rebounds — three of which were offensive — and leading the Tar Heels with four assists.
