Koenen’s Career-High Lifts UNC Women’s Basketball Past Clemson

CHAPEL HILL–  North Carolina Tar Heels senior guard Taylor Koenen set her career-high in scoring and drained her 100th 3-pointer en route to an 86-72 victory over the Clemson Tigers at Carmichael Arena.

Koenen shot 11-17, 4-8 3FG, from the floor and finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

“Obviously I didn’t know how many points I had,” Koenen said, “but my teammates did a really good job of finding me. I’ve been working hard after a couple of slow games. So I needed a bounce back. So I just don’t like to settle, and I don’t like to dwell. So I just wanted to attack this game with everything that I had, and make it worthwhile.”

After another fast start in the first quarter, 27-10, North Carolina maintained its intensity on both sides of the court.

“We felt like we got settled in a little bit which is easy to do when you’re winning by a lot,” UNC head coach Courtney Banghart said about their second-half performance against Virginia last game. “And we did a much better job in the third and partway through the fourth before we used our depth.”

North Carolina junior center Janelle Bailey and senior guard Madinah Muhammad finished in double-figures alongside Koenen with 23 and 14 points.

Tar Heels senior guard Shayla Bennett had an off shooting day – 3-9 from the floor, 1-5 3FG, for nine points – but led Carolina with eight assists.

“I’m one of those coaches where I don’t care who scores,” Banghart said when asked if prefers Bennett to score or get open looks for her teammates, “I just care that we do, And so sometimes with the way the game is being played we need her to be aggressive for herself. Other times she needs to set people up. The great thing about (Bennett), she’s just doing whatever it takes to win. She doesn’t care – at all.”

What’s Next

The Tigers travel on the road to face the Virginia Cavaliers (9-13, 4-7 ACC) Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m.

North Carolina travels down tobacco road in a rivalry matchup against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameroon Indoor Stadium (11-10, 5-5 ACC) Thursday, Feb. 6,  at 6 p.m.