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North Carolina's Alyssa Ustby missed senior day due to injury. March Madness offered her another home finale

North Carolina's Alyssa Ustby missed senior day due to injury. March Madness offered her another home finale

NBC Sports25-03-2025

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — There was less than a minute left in the final home game of Alyssa Ustby's North Carolina career. Victory was in hand, along with a ticket to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
And she was eyeing that scorer's table.
'Jumping on a scorer's table has always been like a dream of mine to do,' Ustby confessed.
So that's how the Tar Heels' fifth-year forward ended a 58-47 win against West Virginia, standing atop the scorer's table and yelling toward the cheering home fans and applauding from above the court. It was the perfect send-off for a player who had missed her scheduled home finale due to injury, then made good on a second shot in March Madness.
Two days after setting the program's career rebounding record, Ustby had 16 of her 21 points after halftime for the third-seeded Tar Heels (29-7), who advanced to the tournament's second week for the first time since 2022. And that set up the first tournament meeting with rival Duke on the women's side in the Birmingham 2 Region semifinals.
The focus was just as much on the 6-foot-1 Ustby, who was capping a career that began with playing in front of essentially no fans in Carmichael Arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ustby made 7 of 11 shots to go with seven rebounds and four steals. She also drew a game-high eight fouls, including one withering stretch in which Ustby drew three on the same possession — twice by driving the baseline — in a show of her keep-her-feet-moving grind.
'Alyssa, thank you,' UNC coach Courtney Banghart said during the news conference, turning to her veteran forward on her right. 'Thank you for how you've handled your career, how you've worn Carolina on your chest and who you've brought along with you.
'I know people are going to be talking about that being your legacy game, and you deserve everything you felt tonight.'
It was, in fact, a delayed home finale for Ustby, who injured her left knee in mid-February against N.C. State and missed roughly three weeks. The injury happened in subtle fashion, with Ustby checking out of the game in the opening minutes with no dramatic collision or collapse and quickly heading to the locker room.
Her status hung over the Tar Heels as she didn't play again until the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, which meant she missed her senior day against Virginia — a game in which the Cavaliers rallied from a huge deficit and topped the Tar Heels.
At the time, the Tar Heels were coming down the stretch hoping to do enough to secure a chance to host opening-week games in the NCAA Tournament. And Banghart had publicly mentioned the hope that there would be another chance for Ustby to play in Carmichael.
'I was mainly just focusing on my health and trying to get back because I knew that was what was going to be best for the team,' Ustby said. 'I could worry as much as I want to, but that wouldn't change anything. So I tried to channel all of that energy into my recovery process and make sure i got back as fast as I could. It turned out well.'
The Tar Heels ultimately got Ustby another shot to play at home, first with a first-round win against Oregon State when she set the rebounding mark. Then came the West Virginia game, with the Tar Heels locking down in a defense-first game and holding the Mountaineers to 24.1% shooting.
Ustby checked out a final time with 47.7 seconds left, greeting Banghart with an emphatic slap of the hands and a big hug.
Moments later, Ustby started asking associate head coach Joanne Aluka-White whether she thought it would be OK for her to scale the scorer's table at the horn.
'I was like, 'Is it crazy if I do this?'' Ustby said. 'She was like 'No-no-no-no, do it, do it, do it.' So obviously I had her support but it still took a little bit of courage to go jump up there.'
It ended up offering Ustby a signature moment of celebration, as well as what she described as a tribute to the fans who had backed the Tar Heels through her career.
'This is what she deserves, playing five years here,' said Lexi Donarski, a fellow fifth-year senior. 'This community supports her and us so much.
'Her being able to take in the moment and play in Carmichael again is everything that we could have wanted for her. To be here with her doing that is just so much fun.'

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Sports betting is legal and growing more popular. Harassment of athletes by angry gamblers is rising too
Sports betting is legal and growing more popular. Harassment of athletes by angry gamblers is rising too

CNN

time2 hours ago

  • CNN

Sports betting is legal and growing more popular. Harassment of athletes by angry gamblers is rising too

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Arizona Wildcats head to College World Series after Super Regional comeback
Arizona Wildcats head to College World Series after Super Regional comeback

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Arizona Wildcats head to College World Series after Super Regional comeback

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Hintz had allowed a go-ahead home run Saturday, and he got himself into trouble Sunday by issuing a pair of walks. But Hintz induced an inning-ending groundout to send the game to the ninth. Closer Tony Pluta had thrown a season-high 52 pitches Saturday but was willing to go again with a trip to Omaha on the line. He retired the side 1-2-3, ending the game by striking out No. 9 hitter Carter French with a changeup. Advertisement Pluta set the UA record with his 14th save of the season. Arizona improved to 38-0 when leading after the eighth inning. After the final out was recorded, Pluta looked skyward. He flung his glove to the grass. The celebration was on. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Wildcats head to College World Series, downs North Carolina

Panthers' Bryce Young and Dave Canales in a better place after some tense moments in 2024
Panthers' Bryce Young and Dave Canales in a better place after some tense moments in 2024

New York Times

time3 hours ago

  • New York Times

Panthers' Bryce Young and Dave Canales in a better place after some tense moments in 2024

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And for him to have the respect to say, 'Look, I don't agree with your decision, Coach.' But working together to continue to grow this thing means so much.' Returning to the lineup after Andy Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident, Young ended the season on an upswing. Playing with confidence, Young looked much closer to the Heisman Trophy winner whom the Panthers drafted first overall in 2023 than the inconsistent, uncertain QB from his rookie season and early last year. Not sure if I've ever seen a head coach come out for a player's vibe around the Panthers this year. — Joe Person (@josephperson) June 7, 2025 Despite Young's resurgence, Canales initially refrained from naming him the full-time starter. He didn't want to disrespect Dalton or put undue pressure on Young, who eventually left Canales no choice. After Young's virtuoso, five-touchdown performance in a 44-38 season-ending win at Atlanta, Canales said the Panthers had their 'guy' at quarterback. 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To have that part, that commonality, that mutual respect, I was impressed with how he kept coming back to work and just attacking it.' Advertisement In addition to Canales, three of Young's teammates came to the camp: receiver Xavier Legette and offensive linemen Taylor Moton and Austin Corbett. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, special teams coordinator Tracy Smith, assistant coach Daren Bates and game management coordinator George Li also were there. Team photo. — Joe Person (@josephperson) June 7, 2025 Canales brought two of his daughters, Beatrice and Amaya, who wore headbands and football gloves. Craig Young, Bryce's father, appreciated that Canales didn't just make a token appearance but engaged with campers while watching the drills. Craig Young also praised how general manager Dan Morgan has continued to add pieces around Bryce, whose lobbying efforts had at least some role in the team's decision to take Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan over a defensive player with the eighth pick. 'I'm super excited with the job that the staff — and specifically coach Canales and Dan — are doing with surrounding him with great weapons, with a great scheme, great protection,' Craig Young said. 'I just feel like he has a level of comfort now. And with most things, when there's familiarity and comfort — and then you're building off of previous success — that's usually a recipe for growth.' For the second consecutive year, Young's camp featured a unique mental health component. Halfway through the morning, campers gathered around Young, his parents, his aunt, a counselor and a therapist who led everyone through a series of breathing exercises. Craig Young, a marriage and family therapist, had earlier spoken with parents about youth mental health, the focus of the Young 9 Foundation, which the quarterback leads. 'It's our second (camp) in Charlotte. It means a lot,' he said. 'We just want it to be a day for the kids to have fun, enjoy themselves with football but also be able to have conversations about mental health. … To have some tools that can help them, whether it be in sports or in life.' Young interacted with the campers, who ranged in age from 6 to 14. He handed the ball off at a running back station, threw short passes during a receiving drill and dapped and spoke to the young players throughout the day. It was a fun, relaxed vibe, not unlike what seems to be surrounding the organization with Young entering Year 3 as the clear starter after some tense moments between the coach and quarterback last year. Advertisement 'All that weight is just gone. We saw it at the end of the year when Bryce was just being Bryce. … He just gets to go be that without thinking about it. To have that just gone makes him play at an extremely high level effortlessly,' said Corbett, the veteran center. 'It's a testament to Dave being able to do his job, put aside the personal side and understand there is gonna be that little fracture going through that relationship. But it's the ability to mend it, and a genuine, authentic love for the game, love for Bryce as a person that allows that move to be (made) and come back strong.'

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