UNC women’s basketball challenges No. 1 South Carolina. Three takeaways from Heels’ loss
Top-ranked South Carolina remained unbeaten Thursday after earning a road victory over No. 24 North Carolina in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge, despite plenty of pushback from the tar Heels.
UNC (5-3) fell to the No. 1 Gamecocks (6-0), 65-58, despite holding an early double-digit lead and pulling to within a score late in the fourth quarter.
The Heels led USC early by controlling the pace and limiting the Gamecocks’ efforts in the paint.
The Tar Heels lead the overall series 11-10, but they haven’t beaten South Carolina since the 2013-14 season.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Can the Tar Heel defense slow down the Gamecocks?
Short answer: Yes, absolutely. Longer answer: Not for the entire game.
South Carolina came into the contest averaging 100.4 points per game, with a 51.6-point scoring margin. It beat Mississippi Valley 101-19 last week, but two of its 100-point games came against top 15 teams.
The UNC defense came in at No. 26 in scoring defense (52.7 ppg). It commanded the first half, holding USC to just 26 points and 1 of 4 shooting from the perimeter. The Tar Heels’ defensive effort led to buckets on the other end; they led by as many as 11 points.
Carolina’s defense forced turnovers on the first three USC possessions of the game and held it to 33.3% field goal shooting — far below the Gamecocks’ 51.4% average.
The defense played very well deep into the second half. It maintained pressure on the nation’s No. 1 team by forcing 13 total USC turnovers, blocking seven shots and stealing the ball five times. Unfortunately, it couldn’t keep up with Dawn Staley’s crew after the break.
Keep an eye on Alyssa Ustby and Deja Kelly
Alyssa Ustby and Deja Kelly proved why they were named to the National Player of the Year watch list, carrying much of the responsibility in the game.
Ustby picked up an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double, achieving the stat by the fourth quarter. Kelly led the team in scoring with 20 points, finding her way inside and getting to the line.
They committed most of the team’s turnovers, though — and Kelly received a technical in the first — which will be something Carolina wants to watch going forward. Their production, though, more than made up for it.
Heels command the glass
How did the Tar Heels keep things close against the top team in the country? They outrebounded the Gamecocks.
North Carolina finished with 45 rebounds to South Carolina’s 39. Its season average was 36.7 rebounds per game. At one point, the Heels had a 16-8 advantage off the glass. More important than the overall rebound total, though, was the efficiency on the offensive end.
The Tar Heels pulled down 15 offensive rebounds. USC only recorded six. Those boards gave UNC an additional 11 shot attempts.
This story was originally published November 30, 2023 at 9:19 PM.
