Two weeks ago, Leah Church dug an old mini hoop out of her basement, hung it on a door in her upstairs bonus room and started shooting. An hour later, the UNC women’s basketball player had a “backwards quarantine edition” trick shot video that — like many of other her other feats — made its rounds on Twitter and Instagram.
Two weeks later, it’s worth asking: what went wrong for UNC women's basketball, which went from 16-6 to 16-14 and a first-round ACC Tournament exit? A lack of depth is among the chief reasons.
Foul trouble and a defensive collapse in the fourth quarter saw the North Carolina women's basketball team exit the ACC Tournament in the first round with an 83-73 loss to Wake Forest, likely ending the Tar Heels' season.
The North Carolina women’s basketball team has had an up and down season and with an at-large NCAA Tournament bid looking unlikely, enters the ACC Tournament this week with everything to play for. In head coach Courtney Banghart's first year, the Tar Heels finished 16-13 overall and 7-11 in the ACC, earning them a No. 12 seed in the ACC Tournament. That gives UNC a first-round matchup against No. 13 seed Wake Forest.
Taylor Koenen, Shayla Bennett and Madinah Muhammad were definitely sentimental Sunday after a 73-54 loss to Duke. As was head coach Courtney Banghart. But there was something else in the air, too, after UNC women's basketball's regular-season finale: a sense of closure.
In the midst of a near month-long losing streak, the North Carolina women’s basketball team played with desperation in a senior night matchup against Duke on Sunday. When the Tar Heels entered their first game against the Blue Devils on Feb. 6, they were 16-6, third in the ACC, and firmly in the discussion for an NCAA tournament bid. After suffering a 71-61 loss in Cameron Indoor Stadium in that game, UNC has undergone a collapse.
To have even a fighting chance at qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels will now have to go on a miracle run in the ACC Tournament, which starts Wednesday in Greensboro.
The Tar Heels, on a six-game losing streak after Thursday's game against Notre Dame, will look to avoid being swept by the Blue Devils in their final home game of the season. Here are three keys to a North Carolina victory on Sunday.
Led by Muhammad’s 21 points and seven rebounds, they never quit fighting. Not when Wake Forest jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first eight minutes. Not when they trailed by eight in the middle of the third quarter. The reason why? Effort.
After flirting with the much-needed win that could have broken its four-game losing streak late in regulation, North Carolina allowed a game-tying 3-pointer with six seconds left and ultimately lost 82-79 in overtime to Wake Forest.
The North Carolina women’s basketball fell for the fifth consecutive game, this time dropping a close one in overtime to Wake Forest, 82-79, on Sunday afternoon.
Following Thursday night’s 74-56 loss to the Orange, Courtney Banghart didn’t have much to say. Apparently, neither did her players, as none were made available for post-game interviews.
The North Carolina women’s basketball team’s shooting woes continued in its third straight loss of the season, shooting under 33 percent from the field in a 74-56 defeat to Syracuse on Thursday night. Head coach Courtney Banghart’s team had yet to lose back-to-back games before they played Duke last Thursday, but after the team’s toughest week of the season they have now slipped from the top-4 to the middle of the pack in ACC standings.
North Carolina women’s basketball coach Courtney Banghart has preached this all season: To win, her team either needs to consistently make 3-pointers or consistently defend opponents behind the arc. Against Virginia Tech on Sunday, the Tar Heels did neither. In a 72-63 loss to the Hokies, UNC went just 1-11 on 3-pointers (a season-low 9.1 percent) and allowed their opponent to make six.
The North Carolina women’s basketball team (16-8,7-6 ACC) lost back-to-back games for the first time this season after falling to Virginia Tech 17-6,7-5 ACC) on Sunday, 72-63. The defeat moves the Tar Heels down to a tie for sixth place in the ACC standings.
“We were just two steps late,” Banghart said. “I wish it was one step, but it was two on both ends. We weren’t able to get bodies in front of the ball.”
The North Carolina women’s basketball team (16-7, 7-5 ACC) lost a closely fought game, 71-61, at Duke (12-10, 6-5 ACC) for its sixth loss in a row at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
As students across Tobacco Road prepare for Saturday's Duke-UNC game, many may be overlooking another rivalry bout between the two schools that's right on the horizon. The North Carolina women’s basketball team will face off against Duke this Thursday, with the Tar Heels (16-6, 7-4 ACC) looking for their third straight ACC victory. Here are three things that UNC can do to overcome the Blue Devils (11-10, 5-5 ACC) in Durham.
"It's been a long journey,” Muhammad said. “Sometimes, I feel like a freshman all over again. Everything is a part of the process. You’ve got fall in love with it, the good and the bad. I’ve just got to stick to my goals and what I want to accomplish with this team.”
The North Carolina women’s basketball team (16-6, 7-4 ACC) topped Clemson (7-15, 3-8 ACC) in dominant fashion on Sunday, 86-72, led in large part by offensive contributions from senior guard Taylor Koenen and junior forward Janelle Bailey.
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