Following a road loss against Notre Dame, the No. 20 North Carolina women’s basketball team responded with a 61-52 victory against Virginia in Carmichael Arena on Thursday.
A glimpse of the team’s early-season dominance was on display against the Cavaliers —something that wasn't on display at the team's previous games against ranked opponents on the road.
Despite solid play from the Tar Heels on both sides of the ball, the game hung in the balance late as the Cavaliers gained momentum in the final quarter. North Carolina was able to stave off its opponent, however, by reclaiming some of the rhythm the team displayed earlier in the game.
The energy in Carmichael matched well how the team was playing, and the Tar Heels were paced by the sophomore guard tandem of Kennedy Todd-Williams and Deja Kelly — whose on-court dynamic and communication skills were too much for the Cavaliers to overcome.
“Toddy is a great player on both sides of the ball," Kelly said. "She works really well in transition and defensively she’s the best we've got."
Kelly and Todd-Williams combined for 33 points — 18 and 15, respectively — to lead the team in scoring. The teammates played in unison, depending on each other and working together to create points.
“She’s my sis, I love her three-point plays and I always look for her in transition,” Todd-Williams said. “I can count on her and she counts on me.”
Although the Tar Heels mustered enough points to overcome the Cavaliers, their gameplay was still relatively sloppy, head coach Courtney Banghart said. The team only shot 32 percent from the field and 22 percent from deep, and was also outrebounded 47-44.
“We did not play as well tonight because there was careless effort on the glass,” Banghart said.
