North Carolina @ #8 NC State -- 1/26/20

[LETTERL]

#8 NC State (18-1, 7-1 ACC) returns home for a tilt with arch-rival North Carolina (14-5, 5-3 ACC) at 6 pm EST Sunday, January 26th in a battle of top-4 conference teams. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.

NC State will be looking for revenge against the Tar Heels, who handed the Wolfpack Women their only loss of the season, 66-60, on January 9th in Chapel Hill, in a game where NC State actually led by 14 points in the 3rd quarter. The game tonight on Kay Yow Court inside Valvano Arena in historic Reynolds Coliseum has been announced as a .sellout. This will be NC State's last home game before beginning a crucial three-game road swing, in which it will visit Clemson, Duke and Virginia Tech.

Both teams are coming off impressive ACC road wins on Thursday. UNC went on the road to defeat Georgia Tech in OT, 67-60. NC State ran away from Pittsburgh, 88-44, recording its largest margin of victory of the season in a game in which all 11 available players saw action, and in which 10 scored.

This will be the 111th meeting between the two teams, with NC State holding a 58-52 series lead. Last season, UNC won the game in Raleigh, ending NC State's school-record win streak at 21 games. NC State is 28-16 against UNC in games played in Raleigh.

 

[LETTERL]

NC State on a 10-0 run...then UNC turns it over. 4:20 left 1st quarter...11-2, Pack. Kayla Jones with 5 quick points for NC State.

NC State 4 of 8 from the field...UNC has hit only 1 of its first 8 shots. Pack outrebounding UNC, 9-2.

 

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2 fouls on Janelle Bailey for UNC...4:07 left, 1st quarter.

 

[LETTERL]

End of 1st quarter...NC State leads, 17-11. After NC State went on a 10-0 run to open up a 13-2 lead, UNC responded with a 9-1 run of their own.

NC State is 5 of 14 from the field; UNC is 5 of 16. Pack is 3 of 5 from THREE; UNC is 1 of 6.

Leading scorers so far: Kayla Jones, Elissa Cunane and Kai Crutchfield with 6 points each for NC State. Taylor Koenen (5) and Shayla Bennett (4) pace UNC.

NC State outrebounding UNC, 12-8. A bunch of players have 2 rebounds for NC State. Malu Tshitenge has 6 boards for UNC.

 

[Plebe]

Bailey just picked up her 3rd foul midway through 2Q. Gonna be tough for the Tar Heels.

 

[LETTERL]

4:52 left 2nd quarter...NC State leading 26-20. Elissa Cunane leads NC State with 7 points; Taylor Koenen sizzling hot so far for the Tar Heels, 12 points on 4 of 7 from the field, including 2 of 5 from THREE.

NC State outrebounding UNC, 19-10. Kayla Jones has 4 boards for NC State; Kai Crutchfield and Elissa Cunane 3 each. Male Tshitangue has 6 for UNC.

7 turnovers for NC State; 4 for UNC.

Each team has 5 assists.

 

[Plebe]

And now Tshitenge just picked up her 3rd.
Somehow UNC is staying close.

 

[SECbbfan24]

UNC hanging in there, good for them

 

[LETTERL]

After a Kayla Jones THREE gives NC State a 33-28 lead, Courtney Banghart charged with a technical foul.

 

[LETTERL]

Halftime: NC State leads 37-30. Wolfpack Women shot 42.9% from the field, on 12 of 28, was 5 of 10 from THREE, and 8 of 12 from the FT line. UNC shot 40% on 12 of 30, 3 of 11 from THREE and 3 of 4 from the FT line.

The player of the game so far is Taylor Koenen for UNC, who has 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting. Shayla Bennett has 5 points.

For NC State, Elissa Cunane has 11 points and Kayla Jones has 10.

NC State winning the battle on the boards, 23-12. Kayla Jones has 5 boards for NC State; Elissa Cunane 4.

10 turnovers for NC State keeping UNC in this one; the Tar Heels have only 6 turnovers.

UNC has 8 assists; NC State 7.

Foul trouble could loom large for UNC in the 2nd half. Janelle Bailey and Malu Tshitenge have 3 each for the Tar Heels. No player has more than 1 for NC State.

 

[Plebe]

After a Kayla Jones THREE gives NC State a 33-28 lead, Courtney Banghart charged with a technical foul.

First time I have ever seen or heard of her getting a technical.

Definitely looked like a travel by Cunane.

 

[LETTERL]

Bailey picks up her 4th foul...5:47 left, 3rd quarter.

ETA: That was charged to Malu Tshitenge.

 

[Plebe]

Mike Thibault is a great analyst but I really wish they'd give the mic to that guy who is constantly yelling at the refs. He must have season tickets for a seat very close to the broadcast table

Tshitenge just picked up her 4th, heads to the bench. Bailey still on the floor with 3.

 

[LETTERL]

4:35 left 3rd quarter...NC State leads 48-43. We just can't put UNC away.

Malu Tshitenge has 4 fouls for UNC.

Elissa Cunane now with 11 points and 9 rebounds, on the verge of a double-double. Shayla Bennett had a big THREE to get her point total to 8 for UNC. Koenen stuck on 16 points.

 

[Plebe]

NC State on a 13-2 run here. I'm surprised Bangart isn't calling timeout.

 

[Crazyhorse]

Brown-Turner plays like a senior, she is going to be awesome to watch for the next few years!

 

[Plebe]

Ha there he goes again! I need to hear more from that guy. Someone please do a feature on him.

 

[LETTERL]

End of 3rd quarter...NC State has opened up a 60-50 lead. 4 Wolfpack players have now reached double figures: Elissa Cunane (15), Kai Crutchfield (13), Ace Konig (10) and Kayla Jones (10). Jakia Brown-Turner has 7.

For UNC, Taylor Koenen has 18 points; Shayla Bennett has 15.

NC State winning the battle of the boards, 37-21. 13 rebounds now for Cunane.

 

[Plebe]

Yikes, UNC gives up an easy layup on an inbound play with 0.8 seconds left in 3Q.

Uphill battle for the Heels. (Would that be an up-Heel battle?) But Taylor Koenen just hit a 3 to cut the lead to 7 with 9 minutes to go.

 

[LETTERL]

4:50 left...NC State holding on to a 70-60 lead. Everytime NC State looks like they're going to run away with it, UNC makes a charge back.

 

[LETTERL]

Janelle Bailey knocks down Cunane and fouls out, finishing with 8 points and 4 rebounds. 3:12 left.

 

[triaddukefan]

Janelle Bailey doing Janelle Bailey things

 

[Plebe]

Janelle Bailey knocks down Cunane and fouls out, finishing with 8 points and 4 rebounds. 3:12 left.

I liked how she didn't even bother to look at the refs. As soon as she heard the whistle, she just started walking to the bench.

 

[triaddukefan]

Mike Thibault is a great analyst but I really wish they'd give the mic to that guy who is constantly yelling at the refs. He must have season tickets for a seat very close to the broadcast table

Tshitenge just picked up her 4th, heads to the bench. Bailey still on the floor with 3.

Just turned the game on... I was wondering who that was...

 

[kimmer]

WTG STATE!!!

 

[LETTERL]

FINAL: NC State moves to 19-1 on the season, 8-1 ACC with a 76-68 win over UNC, which falls to 14-6, 5-4 ACC.

NC State shot 39.3% from the field on 24 of 61 shooting, was 10 of 21 from THREE and 18 of 24 from the FT line. UNC shot 40.7% on 24 of 59 from the field, 8 of 20 from THREE and 12 of 14 from the FT line.

Elissa Cunane finished with 22 points on 4 of 12 from the field but was 14 of 16 from the charity stripe. Cunane also grabbed 17 rebounds. Ace Konig finished with 16 points and was 4 of 7 from THREE...Kai Crutchfield added 13 points and Kayla Jones 10 for NC State. Jakia Brown-Turner had 7 points for NC State, and Jada Boyd 6.

For UNC, Shayla Bennett finished with 24 points on 6 of 13 shooting and was 10 of 12 from the FT line. Taylor Koenen finished with 21 points. Malu Tshitenge finished with 8 rebounds for UNC.

NC State outrebounded UNC, 46-28, including 17-7 on the offensive glass. This resulted in a 17-5 margin in second-chance points.

NC State turned the ball over 15 times; UNC committed 11 turnovers. NC State led in points off turnovers, 16-13.

NC State had 13 assists on 24 made baskets; UNC had 15 assists on 24 made shots.

Points in the paint was a draw at 28-28.

Up Next: NC State starts a three-game road stretch, starting with a visit to Clemson Thursday night at 7 pm. (I will be there for that game). UNC hosts Virginia Thursday night.