Ustby and Gakdeng each with double-doubles, No. 16 North Carolina women rout NC Central 119-49

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Alyssa Ustby scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Maria Gakdeng added another double-double and No. 16 North Carolina routed winless North Carolina Central 119-43 on Friday.

Ustby was 10-of-13 shooting and Gakdeng scored 10 points to go with 11 rebounds. Trayanna Crisp added 13 points for North Carolina (7-1), which shot 46 of 81 (57%) from the floor and made 11 of 30 (37%) from long range. Lexi Donarski and Indya Nivar chipped in 11 points and Ciera Toomey had 10 for the Tar Heels.

Shakiria Foster scored 18 points to lead North Carolina Central (0-9).

North Carolina opened on a 19-5 run and built a 34-12 lead heading into the second quarter. Crisp scored 11 points and Donarski added eight first-quarter points. The Tar Heels stretched the advantage to 65-25 at the break with Ustby, Gakdeng, Donarski and Crisp each finishing the first half scoring in double figures.

North Carolina, which returned home after capturing the 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis title in the Bahamas, will host 14th-ranked Kentucky on Thursday.