GREENSBORO – Both head coaches had interesting statements following the University of North Carolina's 85-50 win over the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team at Corbett Sports Center Thursday night.
Courtney Banghart, the head of the 14th-ranked Tar Heels, saw her team defeat the Aggies for the second straight season in Corbett. Banghart applauded the A&T crowd last season after UNC's 66-47 win and expounded on that praise after Thursday's contest. UNC has a national fanbase; therefore, Banghart said it is sometimes hard to tell whether they are the visiting team when they enter some arenas. The Tar Heels don't have that problem in Corbett.
"If we're going to go on the road, we want to have a great environment that we can learn from," said Banghart. "Not every university can fill a fanbase like they can, so when you come here, you're definitely the away team. It feels like an away game. It's hard to coach your team every possession because it's so loud. Their program has definitely earned the opportunity to have a great following, and we're thrilled to be on the other side of that."
Tarrell Robinson, the all-time winningest head coach for the A&T women's basketball program, also had a message to the A&T fan base. Please come back, especially as the Aggies go after their second straight Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) regular-season title.
"Our fans get to see there's not much of a difference in the brand of basketball," said Robinson about welcoming in a Power Four. "They knock down shots. They execute a little more. We're getting there. We'll be doing the same things around conference time, so make sure you come out and support us the same."
The support for A&T Thursday night was unmistakable. The Aggies used that and the inside presence of fifth-year Chaniya Clark and freshman Anaya Karriem to compete with the nationally-ranked Tar Heels. Karriem's spin move in the lane sent the Aggies into the second quarter trailing 14-8.
Banghart said the Aggies' zone took away the Tar Heels' inside presence, so she was glad to see her team respond by knocking down some perimeter shots. The Tar Heels knocked down four 3-pointers over the first four minutes of the second quarter to take a 28-16 lead. UNC did get the ball in the paint over the next three possessions.
Six-foot-4 Cierra Toomey scored twice in the post, and Indya Nivar drove to the basket and scored to extend UNC's lead to 34-16 with 3 ½ minutes to play in the first half. UNC went on to hit three more 3-pointers over the last three minutes of the half to take a 43-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.
"In terms of talent, in terms of execution, they're a Top 25 program, and they showed that," Robinson said. "Courtney does a heckuva job with them and with her adjustments. But I do think our ladies had great intensity and just competed."
The Aggie bigs played well against a team with McDonald's All-Americans. Clark finished with 14 points and seven rebounds on 6-for-8 shooting, and Karriem had 11 points and seven rebounds. Nivar posted 14 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals to lead the Tar Heels.
The A&T fanbase will get its next chance to cheer on the Aggies on Saturday, December 6, when the Aggies host Norfolk State at Corbett. Tip-off is at noon. Before facing the Spartans, the Aggies will make a trip to Durham, NC, to face archrival North Carolina Central University (NCCU) on Tuesday, December 2, at 6:30 p.m.
