MIAMI HURRICANES 11 - 6 (3 - 3 ACC)
NCAA NET 43 (UNC 26); Massey Rating 50 (UNC 28); RPI 86 (Nolan) (UNC 49); Torvik 53 (UNC 23)
Last Season 14-15 (4-14, 16th place). Did not qualify for ACCT; no postseason
Thursday evening’s game is with the Miami Hurricanes at Carmichael. UNC is 17-14 all time with the ‘Canes and just 7-6 in Chapel Hill. It has always been a mystery why the Heels struggle with Miami, since most analysts tend to agree that Carolina is more talented. Coaching was often proposed as a reason, as Katie Meier was a dookie with no love for UNC and usually had her team sky high for matches with UNC.
Last season UNC played Miami at Coral Reef and came back with a 69-60 win. Carolina got strong games from Maria Gakdeng (21 pts) and Alyssa Ustby’s 19 and 13.
This year Carolina is favored despite past struggles and is given a 12-point win by Massey, 14 points by Nolan and 14 points by Torvik. Miami continues to be unranked, though they have schedule strength (NCAA) of 50 (UNC 67). Carolina has, as expected, dropped to #28/23 in the latest polls.
For Miami, the season opened as it often does for Power Four teams with three home wins against mid-majors: Hofstra (83-48), Bethune-Cookman (74-41) and Florida Atlantic (79-47). The ‘Canes then headed up to Orlando for the WBCA Showcase, took on Davidson winning 66-58 and putting up a strong effort against #19 Iowa before losing 61-64. Next on the list was a trip to the Cayman Islands, beating G. Washington in overtime 83-77 but losing to #24 Oklahoma State 84-87.
The ACC/SEC Challenge was at home with Kentucky and was a loss 48-64. For whatever reason Miami had two pre-Christmas ACC games: at home with NCSU (L 61-87) and away at Wake Forest (W 64-61). A pair of mid-majors finished up the non-conference schedule: home wins with Kennesaw State (85-55) and Stetson (77-45)
ACC play resumed with a road game at Virginia Tech (W 75-67 OT), and three home games with Clemson (L 55-70), #11 Louisville (L 68-77), and FSU (W 89-73). Wonder how they rated three consecutive home games within a week.
Carolina is next, and the team the Heels will face on Thursday is very different from the one they played last year. Only one experienced player returned, Ahnay Adams, the 5-6 sophomore PG. Everyone else, including the Cavenders, starters Cameron Williams, Jasmine Roberts, Nat Marshall, and every reserve hit the trail, either by graduation or the portal.
To plug these holes, Miami used the portal and it produced Ra Shaya Kyle, a 6-6 GS C. Kyle began her career at Purdue in 2020-21, moved along to Florida two years later, and after three seasons there arrived in Miami. She averages a team-best 16.3 points (#7 ACC) and 10.3 rebounds (#2 ACC). She also leads in blocked shots. Apparently Kyle was able to lump a Covid year and time spent on IR together to appear in year #6. She played against Carolina in the Jumpman last year, with 8 points and 11 rebounds.
In addition to Adams, who now starts (8.6 ppg) Miami picked up another point guard, 5-9 Gal Raviv from Quinnipiac, where she was MAAC Player of the Year. Raviv, who’s from Israel, is averaging 13.3 points and leads Miami in assists and steals. A fourth starter is Amarachi Kimpson, a 5-8 junior G last seen working for UNLV. Kimpson is the third double figure scorer (11.8) and the most prolific 3-point shooter (73 attempts) although not the most accurate (27.4%). She was 2025 All-Mountain West where she was a career 38.7% 3-point shooter.
For the last 13 games, the fifth starter has been Natalie Wetzel, a 6-3 freshman F (4.6/4.1). Wetzel is not a transfer but a true freshman, one of five Miami signed. A pair of 6-1 forwards has been seeing increasing time as the season has progressed. They are Soma Okolo (3.5/3.1) and Danielle Osho (2.2/2.2). Finally, 5-10 G Meredith Tippner (2.9 ppg) sees time as a reserve.
Moving along the bench, three other players will generally round out what usually is a ten player rotation. The amount of time each will see can vary from starter-like minutes to no minutes at all. They are Simone Pelish, a 6-0 redshirt freshman G; Candace Kpetikou, a 6-3 redshirt sophomore C from Nigeria by way of Washington State; and Italy’s Vittoria Blasigh, a 5-9 junior G who came from South Florida. Vittoria is the most accurate of the 3-point shooters: 41.7% on 30 of 72 and is averaging 9.2 ppg.
In fairness to Pelish, she is actually a returnee although last season she did not appear in any games. When she now gets into games, a three is often forthcoming: 7 of 18 for 53.8%.
This Miami team is a decent scoring team 73.6 points (#10 ACC) although defensively they rank 12th at 62.8 ppg. UNC has better numbers on offense, 77.8 points (#3 ACC), but on defense UNC’s 58.6 is 6th ACC. UNC is the better 3-point team, 35.1% vs. 28.5% but Miami has the edge in FTs (as do most other D-1 programs and probably most high school programs), .697 against .631. Neither club is a rebounding power but overall defensively the edge would go to Miami and offensively to Carolina. UNC does have the #2 turnover margin at +5.83.
The Head Coach is Tricia Cullop, who spent 16 years at Toledo, following 8 years at Evansville. Her record at Miami is 25-21. One of her stated goals is to increase attendance. Miami’s home attendance is <1,000. In the ACC only Pitt at 638 is worse. With that number, a PA announcer is not needed – players can just go into the stands and introduce themselves to the fans.
This game is important, primarily because of where it falls in the schedule – right after a frustrating loss to Notre Dame. UNC is 2-3 in ACC play and the games that follow this one are Florida State and Georgia Tech, both on the road; 14-3 (4-2) Syracuse at Chapel Hill and 12-5 (5-1) NCSU in Raleigh. UNC will not be favored against Moo U. and while probably favored against the other three teams playing in Tallahassee and Atlanta is always tough. UNC needs to be no worse than 4-1 over these next five games.
Coach Banghart has said that UNC played Notre Dame without the drive and intensity required for a game like that. That speaks to leadership, whether by the coaches or the players themselves, or both. Today, Carolina sits at #12 in the ACC. Anyone who can accept that needs to be at another school. A sense of urgency is needed now – every conference loss moves Carolina further away from the stated preseason goals of top-4 in the ACC and NCAA hosting. Miami is no cupcake; a win is a must and no excuses.
The game is Thursday at 7 PM EST. It will be streamed by ACCNX. GoHeels and Matt Krause will have pregame and live audio.
NCAA NET 43 (UNC 26); Massey Rating 50 (UNC 28); RPI 86 (Nolan) (UNC 49); Torvik 53 (UNC 23)
Last Season 14-15 (4-14, 16th place). Did not qualify for ACCT; no postseason
Thursday evening’s game is with the Miami Hurricanes at Carmichael. UNC is 17-14 all time with the ‘Canes and just 7-6 in Chapel Hill. It has always been a mystery why the Heels struggle with Miami, since most analysts tend to agree that Carolina is more talented. Coaching was often proposed as a reason, as Katie Meier was a dookie with no love for UNC and usually had her team sky high for matches with UNC.
Last season UNC played Miami at Coral Reef and came back with a 69-60 win. Carolina got strong games from Maria Gakdeng (21 pts) and Alyssa Ustby’s 19 and 13.
This year Carolina is favored despite past struggles and is given a 12-point win by Massey, 14 points by Nolan and 14 points by Torvik. Miami continues to be unranked, though they have schedule strength (NCAA) of 50 (UNC 67). Carolina has, as expected, dropped to #28/23 in the latest polls.
For Miami, the season opened as it often does for Power Four teams with three home wins against mid-majors: Hofstra (83-48), Bethune-Cookman (74-41) and Florida Atlantic (79-47). The ‘Canes then headed up to Orlando for the WBCA Showcase, took on Davidson winning 66-58 and putting up a strong effort against #19 Iowa before losing 61-64. Next on the list was a trip to the Cayman Islands, beating G. Washington in overtime 83-77 but losing to #24 Oklahoma State 84-87.
The ACC/SEC Challenge was at home with Kentucky and was a loss 48-64. For whatever reason Miami had two pre-Christmas ACC games: at home with NCSU (L 61-87) and away at Wake Forest (W 64-61). A pair of mid-majors finished up the non-conference schedule: home wins with Kennesaw State (85-55) and Stetson (77-45)
ACC play resumed with a road game at Virginia Tech (W 75-67 OT), and three home games with Clemson (L 55-70), #11 Louisville (L 68-77), and FSU (W 89-73). Wonder how they rated three consecutive home games within a week.
Carolina is next, and the team the Heels will face on Thursday is very different from the one they played last year. Only one experienced player returned, Ahnay Adams, the 5-6 sophomore PG. Everyone else, including the Cavenders, starters Cameron Williams, Jasmine Roberts, Nat Marshall, and every reserve hit the trail, either by graduation or the portal.
To plug these holes, Miami used the portal and it produced Ra Shaya Kyle, a 6-6 GS C. Kyle began her career at Purdue in 2020-21, moved along to Florida two years later, and after three seasons there arrived in Miami. She averages a team-best 16.3 points (#7 ACC) and 10.3 rebounds (#2 ACC). She also leads in blocked shots. Apparently Kyle was able to lump a Covid year and time spent on IR together to appear in year #6. She played against Carolina in the Jumpman last year, with 8 points and 11 rebounds.
In addition to Adams, who now starts (8.6 ppg) Miami picked up another point guard, 5-9 Gal Raviv from Quinnipiac, where she was MAAC Player of the Year. Raviv, who’s from Israel, is averaging 13.3 points and leads Miami in assists and steals. A fourth starter is Amarachi Kimpson, a 5-8 junior G last seen working for UNLV. Kimpson is the third double figure scorer (11.8) and the most prolific 3-point shooter (73 attempts) although not the most accurate (27.4%). She was 2025 All-Mountain West where she was a career 38.7% 3-point shooter.
For the last 13 games, the fifth starter has been Natalie Wetzel, a 6-3 freshman F (4.6/4.1). Wetzel is not a transfer but a true freshman, one of five Miami signed. A pair of 6-1 forwards has been seeing increasing time as the season has progressed. They are Soma Okolo (3.5/3.1) and Danielle Osho (2.2/2.2). Finally, 5-10 G Meredith Tippner (2.9 ppg) sees time as a reserve.
Moving along the bench, three other players will generally round out what usually is a ten player rotation. The amount of time each will see can vary from starter-like minutes to no minutes at all. They are Simone Pelish, a 6-0 redshirt freshman G; Candace Kpetikou, a 6-3 redshirt sophomore C from Nigeria by way of Washington State; and Italy’s Vittoria Blasigh, a 5-9 junior G who came from South Florida. Vittoria is the most accurate of the 3-point shooters: 41.7% on 30 of 72 and is averaging 9.2 ppg.
In fairness to Pelish, she is actually a returnee although last season she did not appear in any games. When she now gets into games, a three is often forthcoming: 7 of 18 for 53.8%.
This Miami team is a decent scoring team 73.6 points (#10 ACC) although defensively they rank 12th at 62.8 ppg. UNC has better numbers on offense, 77.8 points (#3 ACC), but on defense UNC’s 58.6 is 6th ACC. UNC is the better 3-point team, 35.1% vs. 28.5% but Miami has the edge in FTs (as do most other D-1 programs and probably most high school programs), .697 against .631. Neither club is a rebounding power but overall defensively the edge would go to Miami and offensively to Carolina. UNC does have the #2 turnover margin at +5.83.
The Head Coach is Tricia Cullop, who spent 16 years at Toledo, following 8 years at Evansville. Her record at Miami is 25-21. One of her stated goals is to increase attendance. Miami’s home attendance is <1,000. In the ACC only Pitt at 638 is worse. With that number, a PA announcer is not needed – players can just go into the stands and introduce themselves to the fans.
This game is important, primarily because of where it falls in the schedule – right after a frustrating loss to Notre Dame. UNC is 2-3 in ACC play and the games that follow this one are Florida State and Georgia Tech, both on the road; 14-3 (4-2) Syracuse at Chapel Hill and 12-5 (5-1) NCSU in Raleigh. UNC will not be favored against Moo U. and while probably favored against the other three teams playing in Tallahassee and Atlanta is always tough. UNC needs to be no worse than 4-1 over these next five games.
Coach Banghart has said that UNC played Notre Dame without the drive and intensity required for a game like that. That speaks to leadership, whether by the coaches or the players themselves, or both. Today, Carolina sits at #12 in the ACC. Anyone who can accept that needs to be at another school. A sense of urgency is needed now – every conference loss moves Carolina further away from the stated preseason goals of top-4 in the ACC and NCAA hosting. Miami is no cupcake; a win is a must and no excuses.
The game is Thursday at 7 PM EST. It will be streamed by ACCNX. GoHeels and Matt Krause will have pregame and live audio.
