Preview: Maryland vs. North Carolina in Women’s Basketball Tournament Matchup

The No. 5-seed Maryland team travels to Chapel Hill for a high-stakes NCAA encounter. The winner advances toward a Sweet 16 berth under coach Brenda Frese.

Game details

Tipoff is Sunday at noon. The contest will be played at Carmichael Arena. ESPN holds broadcast rights for the game.

Context and stakes

Maryland seeks a 13th Sweet 16 appearance during Frese’s tenure. The coach faces a familiar rival in North Carolina.

Frese and the Tar Heels met 23 times across 12 ACC seasons. Her record in those meetings stands at 11-12. This is their first meeting since Maryland left the ACC in 2014.

North Carolina snapshot

The Tar Heels enter as a No. 4 tournament seed. They are ranked No. 15 nationally. Their record is 27-7 overall and 14-4 in the ACC.

North Carolina has won 14 of its last 16 games. Courtney Banghart is in her sixth season leading the program. She has not faced Maryland while at Carolina.

Key players for North Carolina

• Nyla Harris, senior forward, 6-foot-2, All-ACC first team. She averages 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds. Her field-goal percentage exceeds 57%.
• Indya Nivar, senior guard, 5-foot-10. She contributes over 10 points per game. She also averages nearly four assists and almost three steals.
• Lanie Grant, sophomore guard, 5-foot-9. She shoots 43.1% from three. Grant made four threes in the ACC tournament win over Virginia Tech.

Team traits

Carolina features balanced scoring and depth. Four or more players can score in double figures on a given night. That makes scouting more complex for opponents.

Free throws are a concern. North Carolina shoots 69% from the line and ranks about 252nd nationally. Maryland shoots roughly eight percentage points better from the stripe.

Maryland notes

Maryland arrives as the No. 5 seed. The Terps will need contributions from their star players to advance.

Oluchi Okananwa played just 14 minutes in Maryland’s first-round win over Murray State. Foul trouble limited her role. Maryland will hope she is more effective against stronger opposition.

Coaching and history

Frese described her return to Chapel Hill as comfortable. She has collected many wins in this arena over the years.

Banghart recalled a notable past meeting when she coached Princeton. In 2014-15, Maryland ended Princeton’s 31-game winning streak in the NCAA second round. Banghart praised Frese’s consistency and character.

What to watch

• How Maryland defends Harris and limits Carolina’s balanced attack.
• Okananwa’s minutes and effectiveness after recent foul trouble.
• Free-throw performance late in the game, where margins could decide the outcome.

Filmogaz.com will monitor the matchup and deliver updates and analysis. This women’s basketball tournament matchup promises a competitive afternoon in Chapel Hill.