Top performers from the Tar Heels' win over USC-Upstate
No. 7 UNC extended its win streak to three with a wire-to-wire victory over USC-Upstate on Friday night. The team is now 9-1 on the season.
The Tar Heels jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but sloppy play brought the Spartans within two just minutes later. After a late first quarter run, UNC took a 13 point lead and never looked back, leading by as much as 32 by the third period.
Like many of their wins, the Tar Heels' performance entailed a combination of elite offense and defense. The team shot a season-high field-goal percentage of 60.7 and grabbed 13 steals. This is the third time the team made over 50 percent of their shots and recorded over 10 steals this season.
There were some impressive individual performances as well. Three players scored in double-digits for the time this season as well as a new career high in scoring for one player. Here are the top performers from Friday night's win.
Deja Kelly
Junior guard Deja Kelly had her most efficient scoring night of the season, putting in 20 points while shooting 8-11 from the floor.
As expected, Kelly found success in the mid-range game as well as driving to the rim. She attempted, and made, only one three-pointer the whole game.
This was a much needed bounce-back game for Kelly, who hadn't been shooting well dating back to the Indiana loss. Since that game, she has shot under 30 percent twice and failed to reach 10 points for the first time since opening night in Sunday's game against Wofford.
Against USC-Upstate, Kelly shot her highest field-goal percentage of the season and second-highest of her career. She now leads UNC in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game.
Eva Hodgson
Redshirt senior guard Eva Hodgson had yet another all-around night, carrying significant loads on offense and defense.
Hodgson was the Tar Heels' second leading scorer on Friday with 16 points. She made seven of her 11 field-goal attempts, including two three-pointers, and pitched in four assists on top of that.
On the defensive end, she tallied a team-high four steals. This was the second game in a row in which she took the ball away four times. Hodgson is now tied with Destiny Adams for the most steals amongst the Tar Heels this season with 19.
Paulina Paris
First-year guard Paulina Paris had a career night in Friday's win.
She recorded career-highs in points, field-goals made and three-pointers made. Paris finished the game with 15 points on 6-9 shooting, including three made shots from beyond the arc.
This game can be a confidence booster for the newcomer who hasn't had too good of a year shooting percentage-wise. Although she's been contributing in other ways, especially on defense, Paris hasn't been able to get shots to fall this season, shooting the worst percentage (33.9) amongst Tar Heels that have played over three games.
Nonetheless, the guard keeps letting it fly, and in her most recent performance, Paris showed just how valuable of a scorer she can be when the shots fall.
