Former ACC rivals Maryland, North Carolina clash for spot in Sweet 16 of March Madness

By Canadian Press on March 21, 2026.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart was a young member of Dartmouth’s coaching staff 20 years ago when she attended the Final Four in Boston and watched the Tar Heels face Maryland.

Those schools were Atlantic Coast Conference rivals at the time.

“That was old-school ACC,” Banghart said Saturday. “I just remember the energy around women’s basketball in a league that I knew and in an area that I knew really well.”

Maryland (24-8) and North Carolina (27-7) meet Sunday in the Fort Worth Region 1’s second round with a berth in the Sweet 16 at stake.

Maryland coach Brenda Freeze was in charge of the Terrapins on the way to the 2006 national championship. That came during a period with several classic matchups with the Tar Heels as conference rivals.

“You go back to our ACC days and all the battles that we had between the two teams,” Freeze said. “… I think for both programs to be able to sustain that consistency, it’s really hard to do.”

The 2006 national semifinal marks the only NCAA Tournament matchup between the teams until Sunday.

Freeze remembers past encounters when the Terrapins visited Carmichael Arena. That included nearly two months before the Final Four meeting when Maryland pulled off an overtime road victory against North Carolina. That’s one of the coach’s memories from this venue.

“Coming back here into Carmichael, overtime win, Ashleigh Newman hits a shot for us to (force overtime),” Freeze said.

Freeze’s early battles with North Carolina came with Hall of Famer Sylvia Hatchell coaching the Tar Heels. Freeze recalled one instance when Hatchell chased game officials off the court at halftime.

“So many great battles both Maryland and North Carolina had over the years in ACC play,” Freeze said.

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Maryland guard Oluchi Okananwa was a big reason North Carolina was eliminated in last year’s Sweet 16. Then playing for Duke, she helped the Blue Devils oust the Tar Heels, producing game highs of 12 points and 12 rebounds in a 47-38 outcome.

“I remember the excitement that I was feeling and my team were feeling for having the opportunity to be in the Sweet 16,” Okananwa said. “I think that’s something this (Maryland) team is really chasing and why we’re so hungry or starving.”

Banghart said she’s accustomed to seeing Okananwa play big roles in games vs. North Carolina.

“Relentless travels across school lines, apparently,” Banghart said. “Yeah, we have great respect for her. Easy to root for her.”

On the rebound

Maryland and North Carolina held sizable rebounding advantages in Friday’s victories against Murray State and Western Illinois, respectively. The Terrapins were plus-30, while the Tar Heels were plus-15 on the glass.

“They’ve got hungry rebounders,” Banghart said of the Terrapins. “There’s a grittiness factor to (Sunday’s) game that both teams have to bring on the glass.”

First to the Sweet 16

The winner in Chapel Hill will be the first team to secure a spot in the Sweet 16. The second-round game comes with a noon tip-off on North Carolina’s campus, where spring break is winding down.

“Hey, we could be the first team to stamp our spot in the Sweet 16,” Banghart said. “If we win the game, it was a perfect (tip-off) time.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season.

Bob Sutton, The Associated Press

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