CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The head coach of North Carolina’s women’s basketball team, Courtney Banghart, did not provide any details regarding the condition of star player Alyssa Ustby following her early exit in the recent victory against rival N.C. State, where the Tar Heels triumphed 66-65.
Ustby, who is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, only played for a brief 2 and a half minutes. After her substitution, she left the sidelines and did not return to the bench. The specifics of her situation remain unclear.
Banghart mentioned that she was not informed about the incident, stating, “I still don’t” have any information, only learning from her staff at halftime that Ustby would not return for the remainder of the game.
The 6-foot-1 fifth-year forward has been a crucial player, averaging 11.2 points and 9.7 rebounds this season, and has started in 136 of the 143 games she’s participated in at UNC. Her departure created significant challenges, particularly in defense and rebounding, leaving North Carolina at a disadvantage as the Wolfpack dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Tar Heels by 20 and securing 18 offensive rebounds, which translated into an 18-2 advantage in second-chance points.
“I was like, ‘Wait, why are we not rebounding the ball?’ Because Alyssa’s not in,” remarked guard Reniya Kelly. “It was just a realization that she’s a big part of why we win games.”
Despite these setbacks, the Tar Heels persevered against the Wolfpack, who at one point held a six-point lead in the final three minutes, with the last of those leads coming from a three-pointer by Madison Hayes that put them ahead 63-57 with just 1:50 remaining.
In response, Kelly hit a crucial three-pointer to complete her career-high scoring of 23 points, while graduate transfer Grace Townsend secured the win by making two free throws with 5.2 seconds left, followed by a defensive stop to seal the match.
Banghart noted, “We just got just enough from everybody,” demonstrating the team’s resilience.
With this victory, the Tar Heels now hold a record of 23 wins against 4 losses, and they have secured 5 consecutive wins, as well as 10 victories in their last 11 games overall.
