WBB Opens Cancun Challenge With Thanksgiving Hoops Vs. South Dakota State

CANCUN, MEXICO — Opening up the 2025 Cancun Challenge with Thanksgiving basketball, No. 12 North Carolina faces off towards South Dakota State in its first of three video games in Mexico. The Tar Heels are 10-2 in multi-team occasion video games underneath Banghart, taking up the Jackrabbits at 11 a.m. ET on FloHoops.

NO. 12/10 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (5-1, 0-0 ACC)

Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (Dartmouth, 2000)

Record at North Carolina: 130-65 (seventh season)

Career Record: 384-168 (nineteenth season) 

RV/RV SOUTH DAKOTA STATE JACKRABBITS

Head Coach: Aaron Johnston (Gustavus Adolphus, 1996)

Record at SDSU: 633-195 (twenty seventh season)

Career Record: Same

TIPPING OFF

• Break out the passports as Carolina is headed to the 2025 Cancun Challenge. The Tar Heels return to Mexico for the primary time since 2019, the place UNC went 2-0.

• The Tar Heels went 3-0 of their final multi-team occasion, profitable the 2024 Battle4Atlantis within the Bahamas. In MTE occasions underneath Courtney Banghart, Carolina is 10-2 total.

• After a career-high evening towards UNCG, Nyla Brooks picked up the glory because the ACC Freshman of the Week. Brooks posted a career-high 19 factors all whereas going an ideal 7-of-7 from the sector and 3-of-3 from past the arc.

• Ciera Toomey additionally had a career-high evening of her personal, scoring a private finest 19 factors and meting out 4 assists towards the Spartans.

SCOUTING THE JACKRABBITS

The reigning Summit League champions enter Thursday’s assembly at 5-0, coming off a 72-63 victory over Gonzaga final week.

The Jackrabbits had been as soon as once more chosen to take the Summit League crown within the league’s preseason ballot, after going 16-0 in convention motion final yr.

South Dakota State reached the second spherical of the NCAA Tournament in 2025, earlier than falling to the eventual nationwide champion in UConn.

Brooklyn Meyer was honored because the league’s preseason participant of the yr after averaging 18.3 factors per sport in convention motion final season.

The Jackrabbits are capturing the ball at an environment friendly clip, rating No. 8 nationally with a discipline objective proportion of 51.3%.

Currently, South Dakota State is receiving votes in each the AP and Coaches Polls.

SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

The Tar Heels and the Jackrabbits meet for the primary time in program historical past on Thursday.

In its lone assembly towards a Summit League squad, North Carolina defeated  South Dakota 75-69 in 2009 in Chapel Hill.

CAROLINA IN MTE’S

For the second straight season, the Tar Heels seize their passports and head worldwide for his or her MTE.

Under Banghart, the Tar Heels have claimed 4 multi-team occasion titles, the final being in 2024 on the Battle4Atlantis.

In MTE video games within the Banghart period, UNC is 10-2 total.

TAR HEELS IN MEXICO

Returning to Cancun for the primary time since 2019, Carolina appears to proceed its profitable methods in Mexico.

In the primary yr underneath Banghart, the Tar Heels defeated Temple and Missouri to go 2-0 in paradise.

LAST TIME OUT

The Tar Heels pictures had been up and on level towards UNCG on Sunday, rolling to a 94-48 victory towards the Spartans.

The threes proceed to fall for Carolina, flattening 12 as a squad.

Ciera Toomey’s sport retains on climbing, scoring a career-high 19 factors, together with a third-quarter scoring burst with 11 factors.

Nyla Brooks went 7-of-7 from the sector en path to a career-high 18 factors. Taliyah Henderson additionally earned her career-high with 13 factors, whereas Elina Aarnisalo additionally added 13.

Indya Nivar continues her double-figure scoring streak, including 10 for her sixth consecutive sport in double figures.

SHE’S JUST A FRESHMAN

With the arrogance Nyla Brooks brings to the court docket, she has already asserted herself as one of many nation’s high freshmen.

Posting a efficiency of perfection towards UNCG, Brooks scored a career-high 18 factors whereas capturing 7-of-7 from the sector and 3-of-3 from past the arc.

Brooks’ outing vs. the Spartans propelled her to earn her first ACC Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 24. She’s the primary freshman to choose up the glory for Carolina for the reason that 2023 season. Overall, Carolina leads the ACC with 84 Freshmen of the Week picks.

Her scoring has remained constant, as she’s the primary freshman Tar Heel to attain in double figures in 5 of her first six video games since Jocelyn Jones and Janelle Bailey each did so in 2017.

CT’S COMING

The growth of Ciera Toomey has been simple, because the redshirt-sophomore’s work within the offseason is now shining.

Posting a career-high 19 factors towards UNCG, Toomey additionally dished out a career-best 4 assists.

Toomey’s presence within the paint is helping Carolina to put up a mean of 41.6 factors per sport within the paint.

RIGHT ON TARGET

The pictures had been falling towards UNCG, as Carolina ended up capturing 39-of-59 from the sector for a proportion of 66.1%.

This mark ranked No. 2 in a single-game discipline objective proportion at UNC and holds the report within the Banghart period.

WINNING IS A TRADITION

Throughout the historical past of North Carolina ladies’s basketball, it has boasted 30 20-win seasons.

A win on Thursday would give Carolina its 1,100 program victory. The Tar Heels could be the seventeenth Division I ladies’s program to achieve the mark and the third within the ACC.

DEFENSE ON LOCK

Holding one more opponent underneath 50 factors in conserving UNCG to 48 factors, Carolina has now held 45 factors underneath 50 within the Banghart period.

So far this yr, Carolina has held three of its six opponents underneath 50 factors. Last season, UNC held 11 opponents underneath the mark.

BROOKS LOVES THE DEEP BALL

Making a robust impression throughout her freshman marketing campaign, Nyla Brooks is proving her prowess from past the arc.

She at the moment leads the Tar Heels with 13 made triples and leads the ACC amongst freshman with a mean of two.17 per sport.

AN EMERGING LEADER

In her closing season in Carolina Blue, Indya Nivar is making it depend as she has posted double-digits in every outing this yr.

The Apex, N.C., native is at the moment driving a career-long streak of six consecutive video games in double-figure scoring.

On the street at N.C. A&T, Nivar scored a season-high 14 factors and snagged one other season-best with 10 rebounds.

She at the moment ranks second for Carolina with 11.8 factors per sport.

Not solely is Nivar displaying her management on the offensive finish, however she can be shining on protection. Her 3.3 steals per sport rank third within the ACC.

LET IT FLY

The three-ball has been good to the Tar Heels this season, as Carolina has knocked down 53 triples to this point.

In the Courtney Banghart period, it is essentially the most threes drained within the first six video games of a season.

Last yr, the Tar Heels set a brand new program report with a complete of 269 made threes in 2024-25.

LOCKDOWN FROM DEEP

While the Tar Heels had been flattening triples towards N.C. A&T, the Aggies went 0-for-6 from past the arc. 

Carolina made 12 extra three-pointers than its opponent, the most important disparity since 2016.

NO I IN TEAM

In 4 of its six video games, Carolina has posed a steadiness scoring assault with at the least 5 Tar Heels scoring 10+ factors.

Eight completely different Tar Heels have tallied double-figure outings to this point this season, with Indya Nivar scoring 10 or extra factors in each sport.

YOUTH SHINING

A extremely recruited freshman class got here with expectations, and the group of 4 has positive delivered.

Through six video games, Carolina’s freshmen are averaging 20.0 factors per outing. Nyla Brooks is main the cost, averaging 11.8 factors per sport.

MAKIN’ ‘EM PAY

Forcing a mean of twenty-two.33 turnovers per sport to rank No. 3 amongst ACC groups, the Tar Heels are making essentially the most with their protection.

The Tar Heels are at the moment averaging 26.0 factors per sport off their opponents’ miscues and have earned 20 or extra in 5 out of six video games.

Carolina cashed in a season-high 40 factors off turnovers towards UNCG.

ANYONE NEED WINDEX?

Dominant off the boards towards NC Central and Elon, Carolina is outrebounding its opponents by a margin of +5.7 this season.

The margin of +28 towards NC Central was the very best by Carolina since +36 towards Wofford in 2022.

Ciera Toomey is fearless off the boards, snagging 11 rebounds towards NC Central and a career-high 12 towards Elon.

Toomey is the primary Tar Heel since Janelle Bailey in 2019 to report double-figure rebounds in every of the primary two video games of the season.

ROCKIN’ AND ROLLIN’

The offense wasted no time getting occurring towards NC Central, with Carolina scoring 90 factors for the sixth time in a season opener underneath Banghart.

The 48-point margin of victory was additionally the second-best in a season opener underneath Banghart.

Carolina is now 19-0 underneath Banghart when scoring 90 or extra factors.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

With loads of noise surrounding Nyla Brooks, the true freshman positive delivered on Monday towards NC Central. The Waldorf, Md., product led all scorers with 15 factors, whereas capturing 3-of-6 from past the arc.

Brooks turned the primary freshman to steer Carolina in scoring in its opening sport since Deja Kelly scored 19 factors towards Radford in 2020.

Following up her opening day efficiency with 10 factors towards Elon, Brooks continues the streak by Kelly set in 2020.

DOMINATE THE GLASS

The glass was positive stored clear towards the Eagles, with the Tar Heels outrebounding NC Central by a margin of +28, with UNC grabbing 48 rebounds.

The feat marked the second finest margin by any ACC squad on the opening day of school basketball and No. 15 total nationally.

Ciera Toomey and Nyla Harris led this cost, with every recording a double-double towards NC Central. Toomey tallied a career-high 13 factors and 11 rebounds, whereas Harris added 12 factors and 10 boards.

It was the eleventh sport underneath Banghart during which two gamers posted double-doubles.

SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT

Opening the season on a loud observe, Carolina packed Carmichael on its Field Trip Day with a complete of 6,336 in attendance.

The quantity broke the attendance report in Carmichael throughout the Banghart period.

NO PLACE LIKE CARMICHAEL

In the one residence within the historical past of Carolina ladies’s basketball, the Tar Heels have historically held home-court benefit. Carolina is 38-2 underneath Banghart in residence non-conference video games and has gained 31 straight video games towards unranked non-conference groups at residence.

NEW LOOK, SAME MISSION

Back for yr seven with Courtney Banghart on the helm, the Tar Heels convey again eight returners from final season’s Sweet 16 squad.

Despite shedding mainstays in Lexi Donarski, Maria Gakdeng, and Alyssa Ustby to commencement, Carolina reloaded with the addition of two transfers and 4 freshmen.

LOOKING BETTER IN CAROLINA BLUE

Elina Aarnisalo spent one season at UCLA and made a run to the Final Four with the Bruins, earlier than making her strategy to Chapel Hill. An elite distributor, Aarnisalo averaged 3.4 assists per sport to rank fifteenth amongst all Division I freshmen final season.

No stranger to the ACC, Nyla Harris selected to spend her closing season in Carolina Blue after three seasons at Louisville. 

As one of the crucial environment friendly shooters within the league the previous two years, Harris led the Cardinals from the sector as a sophomore and junior. Overall, Harris boasts a 54.2% profession discipline objective proportion.

Regarded as one of many nation’s high forwards, Harris additionally discovered herself on the Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Top-20 watch listing.

THE FIERCE FRESHMEN

Youth is considerable for the Tar Heels, as Carolina introduced in a extremely rated freshman class with one worldwide star and three ranked in ESPN’s high 100 for the Class of 2025.

Following two years on the skilled circuit in Russia, Moscow native, Liza Astakhova is able to take her European sport to the United States. Joining the Tar Heels in August, Astakhova appears to offer depth after showing in 39 video games final yr with the Russia-PBL.

The fifth McDonald’s All-American recruited by Banghart, Nyla Brooks is poised to make some noise in her debut marketing campaign. 

Coming out of Bishop Ireton High School, Brooks earned a large number of honors all through her prep profession. The guard got here in because the No. 13 total prospect within the Class of 2025 by ESPN and picked up honors because the Gatorade Virginia Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Most lately, Brooks was touted as considered one of ESPN’s Most Impactful Freshmen and was named the primary Tar Heel to the ACC Preseason All-Freshman workforce since 2021.

After lacking her senior season of highschool resulting from harm, Taliyah Henderson is able to make her return to the court docket. A multi-sport athlete, Henderson  proved to be a star on the hardwood and the observe at Salpointe Catholic High School in Vail, Arizona.

The guard additionally boasts worldwide expertise, representing Canada on the FIBA U18 Women’s Americup in 2024. 

She averaged 9.5 factors and 6.3 rebounds per sport, as Canada went on to earn a silver medal on the occasion.

Graduating early from highschool to spend this previous spring with Carolina, Taissa Queiroz is prepped to make her debut in Carolina Blue. Spending her highschool years at Cardinal Newman within the Bay Area, Queiroz has generated loads of buzz by way of representing her residence nation of Brazil.

This previous offseason, Queiroz performed with Brazil in two exhibitions towards WNBA squads within the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever. She additionally joined Brazil on the 2025 GloblJam this previous summer time in Canada, incomes a bronze medal.

A TRUE POINT DAWG

The popularity of Reniya Kelly continues to develop, similar to her sport because the guard  was named Preseason All-ACC by the league’s media and coaches.

All-ACC Second Team as a sophomore, Kelly preps for her junior season after lighting it up in her second yr of collegiate motion. Posting eye-popping numbers in ACC play, Kelly averaged 11.4 factors per sport to rank second for the Tar Heels.

Proving her prowess from past the arc, Kelly knocked down 40 triples at a fee of 41.2%. Her discipline objective proportion from deep ranks No. 4 in a single season at Carolina.

With 50 profession begins underneath her belt, Kelly additionally picked up honors as one of many nation’s high level guards, incomes a spot on the Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Top-20 Watch listing and the Naismith Player of the Year Preseason Watch List.

INDY LOCKING IT DOWN

Joining Kelly as Carolina’s solely returning starter, Indya Nivar is primed to finish her collegiate profession on a excessive observe.

A defensive drive, Nivar paced the Tar Heels final season with 68 steals. Her swipes accounted for essentially the most by a participant in a single season underneath Courtney Banghart at UNC. 

Snagging seven steals in Carolina’s win at Pitt tied for essentially the most by any ACC participant in a single sport throughout the 2024-25 marketing campaign.

Nivar’s productiveness distributing the ball additionally elevated, meting out a personal-season finest 68 dimes and dropping a career-best 5 assists in three video games as a junior.

LANIE GRANT ON THE RISE

Playing in all 37 video games throughout her freshman marketing campaign final season, Lanie Grant is poised for a sophomore leap after incomes ACC All-Freshman Team accolades.

Scoring double-figures in 11 video games, Grant posted a career-best 19 factors twice. She additionally led Carolina in scoring in 4 video games, together with twice in ACC motion.

Grant nonetheless stays one of many youngest Tar Heels, skipping her senior season of highschool to reclassify and be part of UNC a yr early.

ACC ACCLAIM

In the league’s preseason polls, Carolina was chosen to complete third by the ACC’s coaches and media.

The Tar Heels highest end within the Banghart period got here in 2022, the place UNC boasted a 13-5 report to tie for third within the convention.

Last season, Carolina outperformed its expectations from the preseason ballot. After being projected to complete sixth, Carolina went 13-5 in league play to tie for 4th.

PRESEASON POLLS

With profitable an expectation in Chapel Hill, the sentiment is reiterated nationally with the Tar Heels ranked No. 11 total in each the AP and the USA Today/Coaches Preseason Polls.

The mark within the AP Poll is the very best begin to a season for Carolina since 2009, the place UNC started the season ranked No. 4. 

In the USA Today/Coaches Poll, it matched Carolina’s finest begin within the ballot for the reason that 2012-13 season.

MOVIN’ ON UP 

Following two seasons on employees as a graduate assistant, head coach Courtney Banghart promoted Lexi Weger to assistant coach this summer time.

The four-year letterwinner at Princeton continues her teaching profession as a member of the Tar Heel employees.

Weger additionally holds the glory because the youngest assistant coach within the Atlantic Coast Conference in ladies’s basketball.

COACH KMAC

Battling with accidents all through her taking part in profession since coming to Carolina in 2021, Kayla McPherson made the selection this summer time to in the end retire from basketball.

“Wearing the UNC jersey has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Being part of such an amazing program has truly been a blessing, and I will forever cherish the memories made here. To the fans in Carmichael, thank you for your endless love and energy,” mentioned McPherson. “This journey has been filled with challenges, growth, and joy, and I’m grateful for every moment spent playing the sport I love. Though my playing days are coming to a close, I will always be a Tar Heel, and I’m excited to step into a new role for this team and continue giving back to the program that has given me so much.”

The McDonald’s All-American out of Hull, Ga., will now spend this subsequent season as a scholar assistant. 

CHALLENGES AWAIT

A loaded non-conference schedule awaits, as UNC is about to face off towards seven NCAA Tournament squads, together with two coming off of Final Four runs.

Heading West to Sin City in mid-November, Carolina takes on two NCAA Tournament squads in preseason No. 3 UCLA and Fairfield within the WBCA Challenge on Nov. 13 and fifteenth.

The Bruins reached their first Final Four in program historical past final season, whereas Fairfield is coming off of its second straight MAAC Championship.

Breaking out the passports, Carolina travels searching for heat and to the 2025 Cancun Challenge for 3 video games from Nov. 27-29. Taking on three NCAA Tournament groups in three days, the Tar Heels go up towards Kansas State, South Dakota State and Columbia from the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

Kansas State reached the Sweet 16 in final season’s NCAA Tournament, whereas South Dakota State and Columbia every gained a sport within the massive dance.

The Tar Heels are on the hunt for his or her third multi-team occasion title within the final 4 seasons.

In the third yr of the ACC/SEC Challenge, the Tar Heels hit the street for the primary time. Carolina travels to Austin to sq. off towards the Longhorns within the first assembly for the reason that 1981 season in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels are 1-1 total within the non-conference occasion. 

TAR HEELS AND NCAA TOURNAMENT FOES

Prepping for March all all through November and December, Carolina is about to tackle eight NCAA Tournament squads between its exhibition and the common season throughout its non-conference slate.

– South Carolina – 2025 Final Four

– UCLA – 2025 Final Four

– Fairfield – 2025 First Round

– UNCG – 2025 First Round

– South Dakota State – 2025 Second Round

– Kansas State – 2025 Sweet 16

– Columbia – 2025 First Round

– Texas – 2025 Final Four

HOME SWEET HOME

The confines of Carmichael Arena have been pleasant to the Tar Heels all through non-conference motion, as Carolina has gained 31 straight video games at residence towards unranked non-conference groups.

This streak dates again to the 2019 season.

MILESTONE WATCH

• 1,099 program wins 

   – One away from 1,100.

   –  Would be the seventeenth program nationally to achieve the mark, third within the ACC.

• Nyla Harris – 841 profession factors

   – 159 away from 1,000.

WHAT’S NEXT

Carolina is true again in motion on Friday, going through off towards Kansas State for its second of three video games in Cancun.

Tip towards the Wildcats is about for 11 a.m. ET.

All video games from Cancun could be caught on FloHoops.