Sports

Big First Half Propels Lady Tar Heels To Big Win Over Wake Forest

Landon Bost

CHAPEL HILL, NC – North Carolina Tar Heels Women’s Basketball (10-8, ACC 1-3) could do no wrong Thursday night against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (9-8, 0-4 ACC). At least in the first half.

Heading into halftime the Tar Heels were up 56-18 on the Demon Deacons. However, A lackluster second half trimmed the lead and gave the Tar Heels a 84-61 victory over the Demon Deacons.

IMPACT Players

Taylor Koenen, Tar Heels junior guard: Koenen scored 21 points from 8-9 field goals (4-4, 3-PT FG). Her scoring sparked the Tar Heels’ run in the first half.

Stephanie Watts, Tar Heels redshirt junior guard: Watts dished out six assists to be the game’s assist leader and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Tar Heels in rebounds alongside of sophomore center Janelle Bailey. Watts also scored 14 points.

Elisa Penna, Demon Deacons senior forward: Pena was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points. Penna challenged Tar Heel defenders and made her presence known in the paint and on the perimeter.

Commentary

  • The Tar Heels pressure defense lead to easy baskets on offense.
  • The Tar Heels made more field goals, 22, than the Demon Deacons attempted, 17, in the first half.
  • The Demon Deacons trimmed the Tar Heels’s lead to 18 points in the fourth period after being down 38 points at halftime.
  • Bailey fouled out and received a technical foul on her way to the bench with 5:50 left in the game. She finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Quick Hits

  • Koenen played all but one minute of the game (39 Mins).
  • The Tar Heels were outscored 43-28 in the second half.
  • Tar Heels redshirt senior guard Paris Kea was honored before the game for scoring her 1,500 career points.
  • Five Tar Heels scored in double figures.

Firsthand Perspective

“We were getting some turnovers,” Tar Heels head coach Sylvia Hatchell said when asked about the team’s first half performance. “I think they had 15 (turnovers) I believe at halftime and they only ended up with 19. We were able to score off some turnovers and we were getting some put backs and things like that. So, we were just clicking. Making shots, makings threes, just everything we did in the first half was working.”

“Well that’s a goods question,” Kea said when asked about what the team can do to put together four periods. “I think our biggest weakness is consistency. We either have a good first half and terrible second half like tonight. Or we have a terrible first half and we’re down and in the hole and then we have to have a phenomenal second half. And we just can’t do that.”

“Plus just coming out, and if we’re on defense, we need to set the tone and be matched up on sidelines and things like that,” Koenen said. “And just being accountable and holding each other accountable instead of being lackadaisical. I think that will help us out a lot.”

“Again, the first half showed how we can play,” Hatchell said. “So, we just have to develop consistency because all the games in the ACC are just really, really, tough.”