For the lion's share of the first half it didn't look like the game was going to end this way. I always hope for a fast start no matter who we are playing; but for non-conference games where we are expected to win, I always want to see us jump out early. It wasn't to be in this one. In fact, after a few minutes Coach made wholesale substitutions one might see at a Carolina Hurricanes game. The starters eventually returned; but the first half was pretty even until the last few minutes. Offense wasn't the issue. The Tar Heels were shooting over 50% and they were outrebounding the Buccaneers. Stephanie Mavunga was pretty much dominating the game when she was on the court. Energy on the defensive end seemed to be the issue. East Tennessee State's shooters kept getting open for long shots. They sank five three pointers in the first half.
The Tide Turned
Remember I mentioned the offense was working well. With a couple minutes left in the half, the defense clamped down and you could see how well the offense was working. A few stops on the defensive end and the Heels were up by 8 with the ball and a few seconds in the half. They inbounded the ball to Jamie Cherry. She took a few dribbles and dropped a half court bomb at the buzzer. Just the way you draw it up. Link: http://youtu.be/jLgE9mGDiTU So the Tar Heels were up 11 at the half. With that lead, the children were relaxed enough to have a snack once they calmed down enough after Jamie's buzzer beater. Well, my two talked about it until bedtime.
And Then It Happened
I looked at my daughter and said, "50 point 2nd half." That's what I wanted. We got 52. I had to wait on it; but the Heels came out in the 2nd half with that fast start I'd hoped for in the beginning. They scored the first 8 points of the 2nd half and never looked back. Multiple players contributed to this effort. UNC's bench actually accounted for over half the points scored today. I was really happy to see this no matter the opponent; but, this was definitely a game for everyone to get some burn.
Hillary Fuller: 7 points, 2 rebounds (photo from www.goheels.com)
One of the players we are going to need to step forward while Xylina McDaniel is out and she did really well today. In 12 minutes on the floor, which is a real jump, she made a significant impact on the game. She made 3 of her 4 field goal attempts and showed some really good moves around the basket plus some great leaping ability. It's really good to see her healthy after being limited with foot issues for a couple of seasons.
Hillary Summers: 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 block (photo from www.goheels.com)
On the depth chart, Hillary Summers is Stephanie Mavunga's backup; but, she's another player who will see increased minutes during this time. She sank 3 of her 5 field goal attempts in the 10 minutes she was on the court. She looked really strong and confident with the ball and I'm hoping that confidence continues to rise.
Jessica Washington: 10 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)
In double figures for the second consecutive game, Jessica actually played an even better all around game today even though she didn't shoot as well. With just one turnover (5 against Albany) with 3 assists, she did a lot to make the team go in her 30 minutes. She looked really good on defense today as well and just did those things that don't show up on the stat sheet.
Megan Buckland: 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal (photo from www.goheels.com)
My comeback kid was great today. None of those points were scored from the three point line where she's known to shoot from during games. These were paint points she made after making post moves near the hoop and a midrange jumper. She was so active on both ends of the court while she was out there. She played defense inside and out and went after loose balls. Got banged up on one play; so we have to hope she's good to go Sunday.
Jamie Cherry: 13 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists (photo from www.goheels.com)
Jamie had a great game today after a couple of rough ones. This was the kind of game I love to see from the freshman (if I can still call her that 2nd semester). She showed a lot of maturity today, taking what the defense gave her, avoided over penetrating the paint and stayed in her shot. She took on the bulk of the point guard duties in this one as (for reasons unknown to me) Latifah Coleman played just 3 minutes. She looked great for those three minutes though. Jamie handled everything well.
N'Dea Bryant: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)
We got another taste from N'Dea today. Just an incredible athlete. I always feel like there's a giant in her and that giant popped in today. She made all three of her field goal attempts today, crashed the boards and played an all around game stuffing the stat sheet in every way. Parlayed that into 20 minutes of playing time today.
Danielle Butts: 6 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 steals (photo from www.goheels.com)
I love how Danielle is stepping up. 19 more minutes in today's game and a good all around performance for the senior. And she's continuing to keep the fouls down with these increased minutes. She's playing big inside at 5'10" tall. Just the reach she is showing in this photo is indicative of the effort she puts in 100% of the time she is in the game.
Allisha Gray: 10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists (photo from www.goheels.com)
See that double team? Yeah, that was today's game for Allisha Gray. To get what she got we got to see her strength on display. All four field goals were inside the arc today as the three point shot wasn't really falling for her. But as she always does, she did what she needed to do for the team. She crashed the boards, played defense and dished out some assists. A valiant effort in the face of constant double teams especially when fellow starters Brittany Rountree and Latifah Coleman had quiet evenings. Another player wasn't quiet.
Stephanie Mavunga: 26 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal (photo from www.goheels.com)
The word of the day? It's DOMINATION. That is the best way I can describe what I watched from Stephanie Mavunga today. The Buccaneers were completely at her mercy and she didn't show them an ounce. She scored the first four points for UNC and I looked at the kids and said, "I don't think they are going to be able to handle her." That was an understatement. No matter what they did short of fouling her (which they did once), she had her way in the paint. It was mostly a combination of rebounds and put backs and touches within the half court offense. She also had a run out on the fast break. She did it all today. She made 13 of her 14 field goal attempts. The 26 points is a new career high.
What We Can Take Away from This One
Not So Good?
I really want a fast start out of them. I realize I'm going to have to exercise some patience. They are still adjusting to playing without Xylina. She (Xylina) by the way was in attendance today just two days removed from the surgery to repair that lower leg injury. It was good to see her smiling. The other thing was the number of three point shots the Buccaneers had. They did have a much harder time getting them off in the 2nd half.
The Good?
The second half was all Carolina Basketball. The team shot well the entire game after shooting under 40% on Tuesday, they hit nearly 60% of their attempts today, no doubt a big help was Stephanie Mavunga hitting 93% on the day; but Danielle Butts, Megan Buckland, N'Dea Bryant, Jamie Cherry, Hillary Summers and Hillary Fuller all hit 50% or better on the day as far as players who had 3 or more attempts. That will settle down as conference play begins; but the team has a lot of weapons. Locking down on the defensive end, particularly the three point line was the big change from the first half to the second half and that is going to be crucial going forward beginning right away on Sunday when North Carolina State comes calling.
But today, I will gladly take this victory. The Tar Heels finished the non-conference schedule, which was likely their toughest in history with a 13-1 record. That includes wins over four teams that were ranked in the top 25 on the day of the game (3 of which have remained) and that is something to be very proud of. Some other teams that challenged themselves early on didn't come out as well. That's what I thought about as I walked behind the children on our way back to the vehicle.
As always,
Go Heels
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