Bailey, and UNC’s Hot Start Slashes Virginia

CHAPEL HILL –  The North Carolina Tar Heels women’s basketball team had a clear size advantage on the inside against the Virginia Cavaliers.

North Carolina junior center Janelle Bailey fouled out last game against the NC State Wolfpack and had eight points and four rebounds in a 76-68 loss.

The Tar Heels bounced back 78-68  tonight against Virginia behind Bailey’s season-high 17 rebounds to along with 23 points, and UNC started the game on a  21-8 run throughout the first quarter.

“Janelle (Bailey) was just a grown woman the second half,” said North Carolina first-year head coach Courtney Banghart, “and we were able to play through her a little bit. And with Taylor (Koenen) struggling a little bit, (Madinah Muhammad) really stepped up, and gave us a spark on defense as well as just an aggressive attack on offense.”

North Carolina senior guard Madinah Muhammad finished in double-figures with 17 points and tied her season-high with three steals.

“Like coach said, we did a really good at locking in into the defensive plan,” Muhammad said. “We just turned it up on defense.”

Tar Heels Freshman forward Malu Tshitenge also finished with 16 points for her 13th game in double figures.

“I definitely think so,” Bailey said when is Tshitenge’s scoring opened the paint for her. “It’s hard when you have five people consistently scoring. Whether it’s this game or two games ago, it’s just hard to match that and to stop that. So definitely when (Tshitenge) gets going, then it opens up everything for everybody else because they’re concerned about (Tshitenge), and next possession they’re worried about (Muhammad) and on down the line. This game can be a confidence boost for her. She’s a freshman that’s up and down, but she definitely came to play tonight.”

What’s Next

The Virginia Cavaliers return to Charlottesville Sunday, Feb. 2, to host the Syracuse Orange (9-10, 3-5 ACC) at 2 p.m.

North Carolina continues its six-game Triangle-Area tour with another home game Sunday, Feb. 2, against the Clemson Tigers (7-14, 3-7 ACC) at 2 p.m.

(Feature image courtesy of Landon Bost)