CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. — Carolina women’s basketball is back in action, as the No. 16 ranked Tar Heels hit the road for the first time in Atlantic Coast Conference play with a trip to Boston College on Monday. A win over the Eagles would make it three straight for Carolina in its opening ACC road contest. Tip from Conte Forum is slated for 8 p.m. ET, airing on ACC Network.

NO. 16/15 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (11-3, 0-1 ACC)

Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (Dartmouth, 2000)

Record at North Carolina: 136-67 (7th season)

Career Record: 390-170 (19th season) 

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES (4-10, 0-1 ACC)

Head Coach: Joanna Bernabei-McNamee (West Liberty, 1997)

Record at BC: 112-116 (8th season)

Career Record: 238-182 (14th season)

GAME COVERAGE

TV: ACC Network

PxP: Eric Frede

Analyst: Meghan McKeown

Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network, WCHL 97.9/1360

• Matt Krause

TIPPING OFF

• It’s full league play ahead, as Carolina takes its first conference road trip by heading to Boston College for a Monday night meeting against the Eagles.

• Remaining strong on the road, Carolina is 10-1 in road games dating back to last season. A win on Monday would be the Tar Heels’ third consecutive in their ACC road opener.

• When Nyla Brooks gets hot, it’s hard to slow her down. Against Charleston Southern, the freshman dropped a season-high 19 points and knocked down six made threes. Her triples were the most by a Tar Heel in a single game since Lexi Donarski did so in February of 2024.

• The Tar Heels closed out non-con action with 11 wins, the first time Courtney Banghart has done so in back-to-back seasons in her time at Carolina.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES

Boston College enters Monday’s meeting at 4-10 overall and on a six-game losing streak.

Athena Tomlinson has been one of the best in the league at sharing the ball, dishing out 5.7 assists per game to rank third overall. Nationally, her 80 assists rank No. 14 in Division I Women’s Basketball.

SERIES HISTORY VS. BOSTON COLLEGE

Carolina heads to Chestnut Hill with a two-game winning streak over the Eagles, winning both meetings last season.

Overall, Carolina leads the series 17-5 and 7-3 in games played on BC’s home court. The Tar Heels are looking for their first victory in Chestnut Hill since 2021.

Last facing off against the Eagles in the Second Round of the 2025 ACC Tournament, both Indya Nivar and Lanie Grant recorded double-figures in scoring in the 78-71 win.

LAST TIME OUT

Shaking off a hot shooting Charleston Southern team, Carolina wrapped non-conference play at home undefeated with a 93-74 victory over the Buccaneers.

Nyla Brooks fired off a career-best 19 points off of six made three pointers, the most by a Tar Heel this year.

The freshmen were key contributors for Carolina, as Taliyah Henderson and Taissa Queiroz paced the team off the boards with six each.

Sharing was the name of the game as Carolina dished out 22 helpers as a team for a season-high. Indya Nivar recorded six assists for her fourth game of the year with five or more.

CAROLINA IN ACC ROAD OPENERS

Carolina is 4-2 in ACC road openers under head coach Courtney Banghart.

Last season, UNC opened ACC road action with a 69-60 win over Miami in Coral Gables.

PASS THE BALL

With seven Tar Heels dishing out helpers against Charleston Southern to total 22 assists, it marked a new-season high. Carolina has dished out 20 or more assists in four games this season.

Indya Nivar led the way against the Buccaneers with six helpers, followed by Elina Aarnisalo, Reniya Kelly and, Taissa Queiroz with four each.

STACKING WINS EARLY

Rattling off 11 wins against non-conference foes accomplished a new feat for Courtney Banghart in her time at Carolina.

It marked the first time Carolina had reached 11 wins in non-conference action in back-to-back seasons under Banghart, and the first time since the 2012-13 season.

ALL HANDS IN

As all 14 Tar Heels entered the game against UNCW, Carolina’s reserves made a strong impact against the Seahawks.

The Carolina bench posted 49 points, the most in a game this season. Averaging 31.6 points per game from its reserves, Carolina ranks No. 2 in the ACC and No. 12 nationally in bench points per game.

10 out of 11 wins this season have come when the Tar Heel bench outscores their opponent.

COUGH IT UP

Forcing 20 or more turnovers in eight games this season, Carolina is averaging 19.57 per game from its opponents to rank fourth overall in the ACC.

Last year, Carolina forced 13 teams to turnover the ball 20 or more times. 

Currently, Carolina is averaging 22.57 points per game off opponent miscues.

GLASS – CLEANED

Accumulating 54 rebounds against UNCW set a new season-high off the glass for the Tar Heels. Carolina also earned its second game of the season with a rebounding margin of +20, with a margin of +25 over the Seahawks.

Under Banghart, Carolina has tallied 10 total games with 50 or more rebounds.

LOCK DOWN DEFENSE

Aggressive defense is a focal point under head coach Courtney Banghart, and her teams have proven so. 

In year seven of the Banghart era, the Tar Heels have held 49 opponents under the 50-point threshold. This season, UNC has kept six opponents under the mark.

The Tar Heels are 47-2 under Banghart when holding opponents to fewer than 50 points.

By limiting UNCW to 34 points, Carolina has now held 14 teams under Banghart below the 40-point threshold.

HENDERSON STAYING HOT

Growing into her role during her freshman campaign, Taliyah Henderson found her footing against Boston University and UNCW.

The Vail, Ariz., native posted back-to-back double-figure outings for the first time in her career against BU and Louisville. Against Boston University, she also added a career-high four steals.

BOUNCE BACK

This season, Carolina is 3-0 in its next game when coming off a loss.

Overall, the Tar Heels are 37-24 under Courtney Banghart off a loss and 27-11 since the start of the 2021-22 season.

NO SHOTS HERE

Limiting Boston University to a mere 13 made field goals, it marked the fewest allowed in a game by the Tar Heels this season.

Carolina then limited UNCW to only four points in the fourth quarter, the lowest by any opponent in a quarter this year.

KEEPING ALL INVOLVED

Already proving to be one of Carolina’s best offenses under Courtney Banghart, Carolina’s scoring options are plentiful, as eight different Tar Heels have recorded double-figure games.

Nine out of 11 of Carolina’s wins this season have come when four or more Tar Heels record double-figures in scoring. 

Indya Nivar paces this trend, scoring 10 or more points in each game this season.

STEALS ON STEALS ON STEALS

Always having her eye on the ball, Indya Nivar has proven to be one of the most tenacious defenders in the nation.

Nivar currently ranks No. 8 overall nationally with a total of 47 steals and No. 22 with 3.36 steals per game.

GOING STREAKING

Riding a 34-game home win streak against unranked non-conference opponents, Carolina took care of business and earned wins.

During this streak, Carolina boasts a margin of victory of 38.3 points in the 34 consecutive wins dating back to 2019.

THRIVING IN PARADISE

Rattling off three wins in three days at the 2025 Cancun Challenge, North Carolina picked up its second straight multi-team event title and its fifth under Banghart.

Indya Nivar took home Cancun Challenge Tournament MVP honors, while Lanie Grant earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

NOTHING BUT NET

In the first edition of the 2025-26 NCAA Women’s Basketball NET, North Carolina came in at No. 13 overall.

The Tar Heels have already earned two quad-two wins this season, defeating No. 39 Fairfield and No. 49 South Dakota State.

Heading into Monday’s matchup, Carolina sits at No. 20 in the NET.

CAN’T STOP HER

Lately, opponents can’t stop Indya Nivar from scoring or scoring on her. In Cancun, Nivar stuffed the stat sheet and averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.7 steals, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 56.3% from the floor.

Nivar is the first player in the Banghart era to snag four or more steals in three straight games.

Her seven assists against Kansas State were the most by any Tar Heel in a single game this season and set a new career high for the senior.

Her play in Cancun earned her ACC Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career. Reniya Kelly joins her as the only two active Tar Heels to earn the distinction.

THREES ON THREES ON THREES

When Carolina shoots from beyond the arc, there’s a high chance it’s going in. Against Kansas State, the Tar Heels knocked down 14 made triples.

The mark tied the program record, which had been previously set 11 times. Knocking down 14 triples against the Wildcats marked the third time under Banghart in which Carolina reached the threshold.

Carolina’s performance against Kansas State from deep also set a new standard. With four straight games with 10 or more triples, it’s th

first time in available program records that Carolina has achieved the feat.

This season, Carolina has already knocked down 10-plus triples in eight games. Carolina has already matched last season’s mark of eight games with double-figure triples.

One of the best three-point shooting teams nationally, Carolina leads the ACC from beyond the arc at a 36.7% clip and with 9.1 triples per game.

SHARING IS CARING

There’s no I in team, and the Tar Heels are certainly proving so. Against Kansas State, Carolina matched its season high with 21 helpers. 

Indya Nivar dished out a career-high seven dimes, the most by any Tar Heel this season.

Overall, Carolina has dished out 15+ assists in 10 games this year. Nivar currently paces Carolina with 3.4 dimes per game.

HISTORY – WRITTEN

In a historic performance, Indya Nivar’s triple-double of 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 steals marked the second triple-double in the rich history of Carolina women’s basketball.

Nivar joins former teammate Alyssa Ustby as the only two Tar Heels to achieve the feat.

Her 10 steals also etched her name again in the Carolina record books, matching the program single-game record set by Pam Leake in 1985. 

Nivar is the second ACC player to record a triple-double this season, and the 50th in the history of the conference. 

By recording a triple-double with steals, Nivar is the fourth to accomplish the feat in the history of the league.

RUNNING DEEP

Depth is a huge factor for the Tar Heels this season, as they currently average 31.8 points per game from their reserves. Carolina’s bench scoring ranks No. 12 nationally and second overall in the ACC.

Coming off the bench, Nyla Brooks leads the reserves with 10.6 points per game.

RAINING THREES

The three-ball is flying this season for the Tar Heels, as Carolina knocked down 10 or more against UNCG, South Dakota State,  Kansas State and Columbia. 

It’s the first time in the Banghart era that Carolina has achieved the feat with 10+ in four consecutive games.

Nyla Brooks led the charge, shooting 15-of-27 from deep during the stretch.

SHE’S JUST A FRESHMAN

With the confidence Nyla Brooks brings to the court, she has already asserted herself as one of the nation’s top freshmen.

Posting a performance of perfection against UNCG, Brooks scored a career-high 18 points while shooting 7-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond 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 first freshman to pick up the honor for Carolina since the 2023 season. Overall, Carolina leads the ACC with 84 Freshmen of the Week selections.

Her scoring has remained consistent, as she’s the first freshman Tar Heel to score in double figures in five of her first six games since Jocelyn Jones and Janelle Bailey both did so in 2017.

CT’S COMING

The development of Ciera Toomey has been undeniable, as the redshirt-sophomore’s work in the offseason is now shining.

Posting a career-high 19 points against UNCG, Toomey also dished out a career-best four assists.

Toomey’s presence in the paint is assisting Carolina to post an average of 38.8 points per game in the paint. The Tar Heels have posted 50+ point games in the paint twice this season.

HOME SWEET HOME

The confines of Carmichael Arena have been friendly to the Tar Heels throughout non-conference action, as Carolina has won 34 straight games at home against unranked non-conference teams.

This streak dates back to the 2019 season.

MILESTONE WATCH

• Nyla Harris – 

   – 916 career points

   – 84 away from 1,000.

• Indya Nivar –

   – 178 career steals

   – 22 away from 200.

WHAT’S NEXT

Returning home to Chapel Hill, Carolina welcomes California for New Year’s Day action on Thursday.

The Tar Heels are set to ring in the New Year against the Golden Bears at noon ET, airing on ACC Network.