GREENSBORO, N.C. — After surging past Boston College in the second round of the 2025 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday, No. 14 North Carolina faces a rematch in No. 22 Florida State in the quarterfinals on Friday. Carolina takes on the Seminoles at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2, looking to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2014. No. 14 North Carolina begins its journey at the 2025 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament as the fifth overall seed, taking on 12th-seeded Boston College on Thursday from First Horizon Coliseum. The Tar Heels tip off against the Golden Eagles at 11 a.m. ET on ACC Network, with the chance to advance to the quarterfinals on Friday against 4th-seeded Florida State.
No. 14/14 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
26-6, 13-5 ACC
Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (Dartmouth, 2000)
Record at North Carolina: 122-62 (6th season)
Career Record: 376-165 (18th season)
NO. 22/23 FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
23-7, 13-5 ACC
Head Coach: Brooke Wyckoff (Florida State, 2001)
Record at Florida State: 79-37 (4th season)
Career Record: Same
TIPPING OFF
• Earning a second round victory over 12th seeded Boston College on Thursday, the fifth seeded Tar Heels head to the quarterfinals to take on No. 4 Florida State on Friday. • The Tar Heels are looking for their 29th ACC Tournament semifinal appearance and their first since 2014.
• Lighting it up from beyond the arc against Boston College, Carolina hit nine threes for the most in an ACC Tournament game in the Courtney Banghart era. Lexi Donarski led this charge with five of her own for the fifth game this season.
• Carolina also looks to grab its first win over Florida State since 2022.
CAROLINA AT THE ACC TOURNAMENT All-time, Carolina is 65-38 in the ACC Tournament and paces all active schools in the league with a total of nine titles.
Under Courtney Banghart, Carolina is 2-5 in the ACC Tournament earning their second win in the second round against Boston College.
In the quarterfinals, North Carolina is 28-11 all-time and looking to advance to its first ACC Tournament semifinal since 2014.
SERIES HISTORY VS. FLORIDA STATE
Carolina leads the all-time series against Florida State, 34-19. However, Florida State has taken the last two meetings against the Tar Heels.
VS. FLORIDA STATE IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT
In ACC Tournament games, the programs have only met once back in 1992 where Carolina defeated Florida State, 81-69.
LAST TIME OUT
Trading threes back-and-forth with Boston College in the second round on Thursday, Carolina overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Golden Eagles, 78-71.
As a team, Carolina drained a Banghart era best nine three-pointers in an ACC Tournament game. Lexi Donarski set the individual record with five of her own en route to 20 points.
Returning after missing the last four games due to injury, Alyssa Ustby added 11 points and six rebounds.
With her third straight game in double-figure scoring, Indya Nivar tallied 14 points and tied her career-high with five assists.
After being named one of the best young faces in the league earlier this week, Lanie Grant reached 11 points with three rebounds.
ALL-ACC TAR HEELS
Four Tar Heels came away with ACC accolades on Tuesday, with Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakeng, Reniya Kelly and Lanie Grant garnering honors.
For the fourth straight season, Alyssa Ustby picked up a spot on either the All-ACC First or Second Team, being named ot the All-ACC First Team for the second time in her career.
Along with a First Team nod, Ustby also was named to the All-Defensive Team after leading the ACC in conference action with 7.64 defensive rebounds per game.
Earning conference accolades for the second time in her career, Maria Gakdeng found herself on the All-ACC Second Team. A force, Gakdeng averaged 12.8 points per game in conference play while shooting 59.9% from the field.
Lighting it up in her second season in Chapel Hill, Reniya Kelly also earned All-ACC Second Team honors. The sophomore made a huge jump, averaging 10.1 points per game while facilitating the UNC offense. An aggressive presence on the defensive end, Kelly snagged an average of 1.2 steals per game in ACC play.
One of the youngest players in Division I basketball at 17, Lanie Grant has shown that she’s one to watch with earning a spot on the All-Freshman team. Averaging 8.3 points per game in conference play, Grant tallied 10 games this season in double-figure scoring.
STACKING WINS
Earning its 25th win of the year on Sunday, the Tar Heels have tied the most overall wins in a season in the Courtney Banghart era. Carolina now boasts eight 25-win regular seasons. The victory over Louisville gave Carolina its most wins in a regular season since the 2012-13 Tar Heels notched 26.
A win on Friday would give UNC 27 on the season, to tie the most since 2013-14.
