It was another 6pm start; but we transitioned a bit easier this time. Tonight on the drive I had my two plus one. Sometimes I bring my daughter's best friend to the games. She's 10 and according to her pediatrician, well on her way to being six feet tall. She plays on her school team; so she comes with us sometimes. She gets to hang out with my daughter and gets exposed to the college game. Her mother joined us this evening as well. She met up with us in our usual parking spot and we were in our seats for the National Anthem.
The Tar Heels got off to a good start, although much to my daughter's dislike, Wingate did have a momentary lead 5 to 4. Her face I tell you. She has to be the most competitive non-athlete I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I do realize she gets some of this intense nature from me, but still. Later things were much more comfortable and what is this? Nails in the mouth.
Really my children, other than being fun, also serve the purpose of relaxing me at these things; but my son already has what he calls his game face. Where he picked this up I don't know for sure. We watch plenty of sports in person and on TV, but the first time I asked to take his picture and he told me he had to "keep his game face on" I could have fallen off the bleachers at Kenan Stadium.
As the first half went on, the Tar Heels began to pull away though Wingate made some really good plays and despite the Tar Heels' height advantage, kept things close in the rebounding department. My daughter and her friend enjoyed each other while they helped our guest (friend's mom) with information on various players. By half-time, the team was comfortably in front 43 to 19.
Then a really great moment. Coach Hatchell took the microphone and told us about one of the Wingate players, Jasmine Deberry who attended UNC Women's Basketball Summer camps during her childhood. While Coach was going through Cancer treatments a lot of us had our cheeks swabbed for the Be the Math Program, which matches potential donors with people who need a bone marrow transplant. Jasmine, out of her love for Coach had it done and responded to a call to donate. A 9 year-old girl with Leukemia received a life-saving transplant from Jasmine. What an awesome thing! Coach said it's worth all she suffered knowing other people are being helped.
The 2nd half continued much like the first. Players continued to rotate in and out and UNC had a very balanced attack. Some shots didn't fall we hope will fall later yes; but, this is also the time of year you work on things you want to implement during the season. It's also the time of year you want players who will be called off the bench to get good minutes. Tonight, it was Hillary Fuller.
I mentioned her in another installment. She doesn't play much; but when I see her I can see how talented she is. She scored 10 points tonight in 9 minutes of action. No one was happier than her teammates. Xylina McDaniel in particular could be seen and heard expressing her excitement. One of my favorite things is seeing how the starters support the 2nd team. As the team approached another 50 point half, I finally got a little smile out of my littlest Tar Heel. He decided to bring a guest tonight as well. He felt his stuffed Mickey Mouse would enjoy taking in a game.
Great things tonight? 92 points, a positive assist to turnover ratio, five players in double figures (and another with 8), five three-point shots made, including two from Brittany Rountree who was robbed of a couple in the last game, the defense forced nearly 30 turnovers and held Wingate to 30% shooting, and UNC won with a +15 rebounding edge. The cool thing was that three of the five players in double figures (Cherry, Butts, and Fuller) are not starters. Just a great team effort and that's what I was thinking when I took my final jumbotron photo of the night.
After the Alma Mater, the girls took the opportunity to line up for the team's victory lap. I love that they do this. They take a lap and high five waiting fans after a win. True to form, the girls declared they were never washing their hands again.
And so ends another preseason of North Carolina Women's Basketball. The season officially starts on Friday with a visit from the Howard University Bison.
This game has a 4:00 start due to a number of other sporting events happening on campus that evening. It's the start of Homecoming weekend at UNC and while I would normally cut my workday short to get to Chapel Hill early, that won't be possible this weekend. I'm a choir mom. I'll be at the Cary Arts Center gushing with pride watching my daughter's first performance with the Cary Children's Concert Choir. Then we'll head home, rest up and get Homecoming weekend started bright and early the next day. The Pittsburgh game starts at 12:30. Go Tar Heels!
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