Your Day in Women’s Basketball, December 18: UNC takes down Syracuse
By James Hyman
Upset in the Atlantic Coast Conference
Sometimes the best thing for a basketball program is a journalist jinx. The Next’s Mitchell Northam wrote before the North Carolina/Syracuse ACC matchup that the Tar Heels would need to rectify their shooting woes and get increased production from the experienced graduate transfers if they wanted to turn their season around.
Petra Holešínská took that criticism to heart, coming off the bench and scoring 21 with four three-pointers as North Carolina demolished the #18 Orange, 92-68. Fellow grad transfer Stephanie Watts was actually held scoreless in the matchup, but the team had more assists and a better free throw percentage than they had been averaging, key points in head coach Courtney Banghart’s game plan.
It was hard to tell if it was the UNC defense or just an off day shooting, but Syracuse could not buy a bucket. The team shot 29% from the field, 23% from three, and 53% from the free throw line, which are almost impossible numbers to come back from. Even worse was the shockingly low 5 assists, a testament to going down early in the game and abandoning the normal ‘Cuse play facilitated by point guard Tiana Mangakahia.
It was the first loss of the season for Syracuse and the first conference win for North Carolina.
Staying in the ACC, Louisville guard Nyah Green has entered the transfer portal. The redshirt freshman was a McDonald’s All-American but was not seeing much game time behind a strong cast of Cardinals backcourt players.
Green will likely have many suitors and she is only one year removed from being a a top-15 prospect.
Syracuse was not the only ranked team to go down last night. #15 Indiana fell 66-58 to Tennessee. The Lady Volunteers had their contest against Texas cancelled but were able to arrange a game with the Hoosiers, though Indiana might regret it now.
The Hoosiers shot 2-for-27 from three, with leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes scoring only 6 points. The game was even from most other statistical perspectives, but Tennessee’s duo of Rennia Davis and Rae Burrell scored 19 and 18 respectively to keep the game out of reach.
It is a big win for the Lady Vols as they prepare for the start of SEC play.