UNC Women’s Basketball at Florida State: Game preview, info, prediction and more
If you’re a college basketball fan, turn your televisions to the ACC Network on Thursday night.
At 6 p.m. ET, the UNC (20) and Florida State (21) women’s basketball teams will be playing each other in a Top-25 matchup. This game pits two of the ACC’s best teams against each other, with the victor owning a tie-breaker that will prove crucial come conference tournament time.
The Tar Heels (11-4, 3-0) are winners of their past five games, starting with a 60-point drubbing of Charleston Southern and also including a pair of ranked wins – Syracuse (at the time) and Notre Dame. UNC has one of the country’s most-talented senior duos in Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby, plus a couple of key transfers in Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski.
The Seminoles (13-4, 4-1), hoping to make their 11th-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, are coming off a 78-72 win at Clemson on Sunday afternoon. While FSU nearly upset N.C. State in Raleigh last Thursday, the highlight of its season was a 1-point win over Tennessee in early November. The Seminoles are led by 20-point scorer Ta’Niya Latson.
If Carolina wins Thursday night, it’ll either take sole possession of first place in the ACC or stay tied with Virginia Tech. If the ‘Noles win, they could take over first place.
Key to victory for UNC
When a team’s stars are playing their best basketball, that usually translates into wins.
That wasn’t the case in the scoring department Sunday night, with Kelly and Ustby combining to shoot 25 percent.
Luckily for UNC, its roster runs deep.
Indya Nivar (team-high 16) and Lexi Donarski (13), a pair of offseason transfers, were the only two Tar Heels to score in double-digits against Notre Dame. Besides starting center Maria Gakdeng, Nivar was the only Tar Heel to shoot at least 50 percent.
If Carolina wants to beat FSU Thursday night, it’ll need everyone to step up in the scoring department.
Something to watch
Carolina took a 20-12 lead into the second quarter at Notre Dame, then proceeded to get outscored in the next two quarters.
Thankfully, UNC’s defense held the Fighting Irish to a game-low 11 points in the fourth quarter.
Florida State’s offense is just as dangerous, so they could get the Tar Heels in trouble. Look and see if Carolina’s defense will stand tall in the middle two quarters.
What you need to know
WHAT? UNC (11-4, 3-0 ACC) vs. Florida State (13-4, 4-1)
WHEN? Thursday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. ET
WHERE? Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Fla.
TV? ACC Network Extra (Watch and stream the game live on WatchESPN)
RADIO? leanStream
LINE? N/A
LAST MEETING? FSU beat UNC, 78-71, on 12/29/22 in Chapel Hill
ALL-TIME SERIES? UNC leads 14-11
PREDICTION? UNC 58, FSU 55
