North Carolina Women’s Basketball Dominates SMU
In an overwhelming display of talent, the No. 21 ranked North Carolina women’s basketball team secured a commanding 94-42 victory against SMU on Thursday night, marking their eighth consecutive win. Key contributions came from Lanie Grant, who scored 15 points, and Indya Nivar, who added 14 to the total. This game also celebrated a significant milestone, as head coach Courtney Banghart recorded her 400th career victory, joining an elite group of only 48 active coaches in Division I women’s basketball to achieve this feat.
Game Highlights
The Tar Heels wasted no time asserting dominance, racing to a 28-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, thanks in large part to their impressive shooting from beyond the arc, where they made 6 out of 8 attempts. In stark contrast, SMU struggled, managing only 3 successful shots from 14 attempts in the opening quarter. North Carolina’s sharpshooters, including Laila Hull who went 2-for-2 from three-point range, lit up the scoreboard early.
As the second quarter unfolded, the Tar Heels extended their lead with a 14-0 streak, featuring three-pointers from Nyla Brooks and Taliyah Henderson, putting the score at an authoritative 31 points in their favor. Hull’s three-pointer, marking the team’s ninth of the first half, helped close out the half with a significant 49-18 advantage for North Carolina. Throughout the second half, North Carolina maintained a lead that never dipped below 31 points. Henderson rounded off her contributions with 13 points, while Hull finished with 11 points as well.
SMU’s Struggles
For SMU, Zahra King was the standout player, leading her team with 15 points on a difficult 5-of-17 shooting performance as the Mustangs faced their sixth consecutive loss on the season, now holding a record of 8-17 and 1-12 in conference play. In terms of overall shooting, the Tar Heels finished with 12 successful three-pointers from 26 attempts, while SMU struggled, achieving only 12 successful shots out of 52 overall, translating to a 23% shooting efficiency.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, SMU is set to begin a three-game homestand with their next match against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Meanwhile, North Carolina will take to the road for a challenging game against No. 11 Duke on the same day, aiming to continue their winning streak.
