Preview: UNC women’s basketball looks to get back in stride against Duke in rivalry matchup

After a tough loss to No. 14 Georgia Tech on Sunday, the North Carolina women’s basketball team looks to bounce back as it travels to Durham on Thursday to face No. 21 Duke.

The Tar Heels had their worst offensive performance of the season against the Yellow Jackets, scoring just 38 points with 29 percent shooting from the field, while also committing 15 turnovers.

On the other hand, UNC’s defense was fantastic in stretches against the Ramblin' Wreck, not allowing a single field goal for over 14 minutes in the second and third quarters to give themselves a great chance to come back.

With three Blue Devils averaging double figures, North Carolina will look to maintain its defensive intensity which is currently holding its opponents to an average of 53 points per game. 

Here are three things that the Tar Heels need to do to capture a win over their rivals.

Get Deja Kelly going early

Sophomore guard Deja Kelly has been phenomenal for UNC this season, leading the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game.

However, she has struggled with efficiency as of late, going just 15-45 in her last three games. She is coming off of her worst game of the season, with only six points going 3-12 shooting — her lone game in single figures this season.

Getting Kelly open shots is key for North Carolina’s offense, as she has shown the ability to carry the offensive load with 10 games over 18 points out of the season's 18 games thus far.

Kelly loves her midrange game and possess phenomenal ball handling to reach her spots. She also shoots the ball from beyond the arc at a high 41 percent clip, proving her ability as a three-level scorer.

By scoring efficiently early, Kelly can draw a lot of defensive attention from Duke to then swing the ball around and get open shots for her teammates. Thankfully for head coach Courtney Banghart, if she needs someone to go get a bucket in crunch time, Kelly is usually the one to answer the call.

Lock down the perimeter

The Tar Heels will have their hands full dealing with Duke guard and leading scorer Shayeann Day-Wilson, who has come on strong as of late.

The first-year has put up double figures in her past five contests while shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range this season. UNC must find a way to contain Day-Wilson, who can score in clusters, as shown by her performance against Troy earlier this season, when she drilled eight 3-pointers.

With guards Carlie Littlefield and Kennedy Todd-Williams playing alongside a versatile defensive anchor in sophomore guard Alyssa Ustby, Banghart will need her players to engage in the swarming team defense that only allowed 32 points in the final three quarters in Atlanta on Sunday.

Help from the supporting cast

In most of UNC’s wins this season, a member of the supporting cast has backed up Kelly as a secondary scorer, giving an offensive boost to the lineup.

In the team's win against Virginia, Todd-Williams scored 15 points and went a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line.

Redshirt junior Eva Hodgson has been a huge contributor for Banghart off the bench this season. Against a solid Virginia Tech team, she put up a season-high 19 points while knocking down four triples.

Ustby can’t be forgotten about either, as she provides a presence inside with great footwork to get shots in and around the paint, giving her the ability to drop more than 10 points on any given night. 

Banghart has a plethora of offensive weapons to complement Kelly, which is what makes this offense so dangerous — and what made their last performance so puzzling.

But with a fierce rivalry game coming up, Kelly and company will be ready to play efficient North Carolina basketball and get back to scoring at will.

@jdolgoff3

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com