UNC Tar Heels women’s hoops prepped for Air Force

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network
Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The preseason No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels women’s basketball team cruised to a 93-61 victory over Wingate during its final exhibition game on Tuesday at Carmichael Arena.

With the preseason complete, the Tar Heels open the regular season on their home floor on Friday as they host the Air Force Falcons with a late-afternoon tip-off in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Carolina has won 12 straight season-opening games and owns a 34-5 record all-time in the first game of the season.

The Tar Heels will open the year at home for the 13th consecutive year and will feature a balanced attack that has contributed high point totals during the team’s two recent exhibition victories over Carson-Newman and Wingate.

Carolina has had six players score in double figures in both games with its talented freshman class already making an instant impact.

Against Wingate, freshmen Allisha Gray (15 points), Diamond DeShields (14 points) Stephanie Mavunga (11 points) paced the Tar Heels offense while sophomores Xylina McDaniel (10 points, 10 rebounds) and N’Dea Bryant (10 points) supported and did the hard work in the paint and off the boards.

When the Tar Heels tip-off against the Falcons place at 4:30 p.m., they will be led by associate head coach Andrew Calder who has stepped into the lead role while Hall of Fame head coach Sylvia Hatchell continues to undergo treatment for a recent leukemia diagnosis.