cadillacnews
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In a standout performance, freshman Kate Harpring poured in a season-best 30 points to propel No. 23 North Carolina to a 71-60 triumph over Penn on Saturday.
Achol Akot contributed 16 points for the Tar Heels, who improved to 2-2 on the season.
North Carolina held a 57-48 advantage early in the fourth quarter before Penn (4-1) rattled off five consecutive points to trim the deficit to four. The Tar Heels responded with a decisive 9-0 run, fueled by five points from Harpring, to seal the outcome. Her 3-pointer pushed the lead to 64-53 and gave her 30 points for the game.
That scoring total matched the most ever by a freshman in program history and marked the first 30-point effort by a North Carolina player since Deja Kelly accomplished the feat in 2023.
Mataya Gayle led Penn with 24 points, and Tina Njike added 18 as the Quakers remained competitive for the first 35 minutes.
North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart is familiar with Penn after spending 12 years at the helm of Princeton. When Penn coach Mike McLaughlin reached out to inquire whether the Tar Heels would be interested in playing at the Palestra in celebration of the building's 100th anniversary, Banghart eagerly accepted.
Harpring was sensational in the first half, scoring 19 points to stake the Tar Heels to a 35-31 lead. She connected from all over the court, including four 3-pointers. Njike kept Penn within striking distance with 13 points.
Next up, North Carolina will play Texas Tech in the WBCA Showcase in Orlando on Thursday. Penn will visit Saint Joseph's on Wednesday.
Originally reported by cadillacnews.