Three Observations: UNC Women's Hoops Victory Over Elon at Home

UNC women's basketball defeated Elon in Chapel Hill inside Carmichael Arena, 71-37. And while the game was not the prettiest for North Carolina, it was able to start out its opening week with a 2-0 record before hitting the road to take on No.3 UCLA in the WBCA Challenge in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Tar Heels will face Fairfield afterward for their fourth contest of the year.

UNC — North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart at the 2025 ACC Tipoff | Nell Redmond/theACC.com

With that being said, here are three takeaways from UNC's win over the Phoenix, going in depth on Nivar's performance, the team's shooting concerns from the three-point range, and how rebounds and steals kept UNC afloat.

Oct 30, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart during the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Indya Nivar Leads the Charge

Nivar finished the game with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists — shooting 6-13 from the field, 0-4 from the three-point range and 1-2 from the free throw line. North Carolina received a big lift from the senior guard, taking the ball away six times from the Phoenix (Nivar's career high is seven in a game).

The Apex, North Carolina, native logged in 26 minutes of game action. And for reference, Elina Aarnisalo and Nyla Brooks played 28 minutes each, while Ciera Toomey, Lanie Grant recorded 27 minutes apiece.

Three-Point Shooting Shows Concerns

UNC won by a large margin, but shot an extremely low percentage from the three-point line — sinking in 4-26 attempts. Grant made one, Brooks made three and Jordan Zubich added another. With UCLA coming up in the Tar Heels' next matchup, the three-point shooting will be key — and depending on how it performs in this aspect, will determine the outcome.

It will be important to stay on track of how North Carolina fares from beyond the arc over its next few contests.

Rebounds, Steals Kept UNC Afloat

UNC grabbed plenty of rebounds in comparison to Elon. Head coach Courtney Banghart's team brought down 47 rebounds, while the Phoenix had 25. In addition, North Carolina had 19 steals as a team, leading to havoc for Elon while trying to run its offense in the halfcourt. The Tar Heels were playing the passing lanes and took advantage of lazy ball movement.

These are three takeaways from North Carolina's victory over another in-state opponent. North Carolina holds firm during its two-game homestand, but will take some time away from Chapel Hill to play on the West Coast for its next two contests. Let's see how it performs over the next week.

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