With 83-47 win over Alabama State, UNC women's hoops hopes to take lessons into ACC play

At this point in the season, the No. 25 UNC women's basketball is used to seeing itself win by ridiculous score lines.

After games like 89-44 against Appalachian State, 93-47 against James Madison and 107-46 against UNC-Asheville, the Tar Heels' final non-conference game of the season was another example of that — 83-47 against Alabama State on Tuesday.

“They’re going home for the holiday 11-0," head coach Courtney Banghart said. "And there’s not a lot of teams that can say they’re 11-0 at this point in the season."

And while doubling up opponents a handful of times and heading into winter break undefeated can feel great, 10 of those 11 wins came outside of the ACC. If this kind of play is going to translate into conference success, the Tar Heels will have to learn how to take the bad away from the good, to improve upon their mistakes from big wins. 

And to hear the team tell it, that's just what they want to do.

“It was a sloppy game,” sophomore forward Anya Poole said. “We know that. We found things we need to work on offensively and defensively.”

That kind sloppy play does not come without an explanation. The game was very stop-and-go as a result of the large number of Hornets fouls. The Tar Heels were also prone to mistakes of their own, giving up 19 turnovers and committing 14 fouls as a team.

“It’s hard to stay focused on your principles in a game that’s so disruptive,” Banghart said.

But even through those frequent disruptions, several North Carolina players had admirable performances. Poole herself had ten points and four rebounds, as well as a monstrous five blocks.

“I’m really proud of where me and my team are right now, and I love the fact that we continue to grow,” Poole said.

Another player who showed off her growth in the matchup was first-year wing Destiny Adams. The No. 20 player in the high school class of 2021 scored eight points against the Hornets, in addition to having six rebounds and two assists, three steals and a block.

“I was a lot more comfortable than previous games,'' Adams said. “I just worked hard and got a lot of steals, and that’s what we needed at the time.”

Ever-focused on improvement, Poole explained how she's taken Adams under her wing, saying she admired how Adams was able to use feedback to improve her play.

“(Adams) takes what we give her, and she doesn’t take it as criticism,” Poole said. “She’s taking it as us trying to help her.”

Both Poole and Adams said their confidence on the court comes from the support of their well-connected team. Poole recognized the strong bonds her and her teammates share, and it seems that closeness has extended itself to Adams.

“(My teammates) root me on and cheer me on every single day,” Adams said. “They push me hard in practice and that really has helped me a lot.”

When asked about her hopes for the second half of the season, Banghart mentioned this same connection, and said she hoped her players could use it to "stay committed to the growth process."

When they return from winter break, the Tar Heels will begin a rigorous ACC schedule against Syracuse, where they will further test their connection and ability to grow.

Only then will the lessons learned from this non-conference slate truly show themselves.

“They’re not a finished product yet, and that’s okay, because I look forward to getting better throughout the season,” Banghart said.

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