Ustby Breaks Record in Tar Heels Win
Alyssa Ustby achieved a significant milestone by scoring 10 points and grabbing nine rebounds, becoming UNC’s all-time leading rebounder. This accomplishment occurred during the No. 3 seed Tar Heels’ victory over No. 14 seed Oregon State, with a final score of 70-49 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament hosted at Carmichael Arena on Saturday afternoon. This was notably the first NCAA Tournament game played at Carmichael since 2015.
Round One β πͺπ’π‘.#InPursuit x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/YpB7slyyB9
β Carolina Women’s Basketball (@uncwbb) March 22, 2025
Coach Banghart Praises Ustby’s Achievement
Following the game, head coach Courtney Banghart expressed her pride in coaching Ustby, highlighting the significance of her achievement: βItβs hard to come to a place like this and do something that hasnβt been done before. Iβm super proud that I get to be the one that coached her, the one who has now the rebound record at the University of North Carolina.β
Key Contributions in the Game
Lexi Donarski was instrumental in the victory, hitting her first five three-point shots in the third quarter, which helped the Tar Heels establish a significant lead. The game was initially competitive, with Oregon State leading briefly in the second quarter. However, Donarski scored the first 14 points of the third quarter, helping UNC dominate the period with a 30-9 run while shooting an impressive 64.7 percent from the field.
Ustby Sets New Rebounding Record
Ustby recorded her ninth rebound midway through the fourth quarter, bringing her career total to 1,252 rebounds and surpassing Bernadette McGlade to become UNC’s all-time leading rebounder. Notably, McGlade last played for the Tar Heels in 1980. Ustby stated, βI know what I came here to do, which is to give my college career my all and try to make an impact, and I want to be a part of a team that makes it really far in March and wins a championship.β
Defensive Domination
UNC’s defense played a crucial role in their victory, restricting Oregon State to just 35.2 percent shooting. The Beavers managed to sink only four three-pointers, which was outmatched by Donarski’s performance of hitting that number in just seven minutes. The Tar Heels have now successfully held an opponent to under 50 points for the eighth time this season.
Looking Ahead
With this win, the Tar Heels improved their season record to 28-7 and celebrated their fourth consecutive win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They will next face No. 6 seed West Virginia on Monday in Chapel Hill.
