In a thrilling 76-69 win over Virginia Tech, the NC State women’s basketball team fought back from multiple double-digit deficits for an important ACC win. Here are some of the key numbers that might not show up in a traditional box score.
0 – Combined number of minutes played by the NC State bench in the third quarter. With the Wolfpack down 33-28 at the start of the period, head coach Wes Moore stuck with his starters for the entire quarter as they outscored Virginia Tech 22-16 in the frame to take the lead.
16 – Consecutive Wolfpack points scored by guards Aislinn Konig and Kai Crutchfield in the second quarter. As the Pack was down as many as 14 points during the first half, 8-0 and 6-0 personal runs by senior guard Aislinn Konig and junior guard Crutchfield, respectively, helped NC State trim the deficit and mount a comeback.
5 – Number of Wolfpack players to record multiple assists. For a team whose playmaking is typically dominated by Konig, NC State shared playmaking duty Thursday night, and the result was assists on 19 of 27 made baskets.
40 – Minutes played by Konig. The Pack’s leader made an impact all over the court and was indispensable to Moore. While the rest of the starters were given a few minutes to rest, Konig never left the court, playing all 40 minutes in an exhausting effort.
3 – Trips to the free-throw line for Virginia Tech. NC State played incredibly disciplined defense all night long, rarely giving the Hokies any chances at free points and defending the paint without picking up any fouls. Virginia Tech shot just five free throws, and in a seven-point game, the Pack’s disciplined defense might have been the difference.
2 – Highest number of turnovers by anyone on NC State. The Wolfpack took care of the rock the entire game and rarely gave it away. Against a fast-paced Virginia Tech team, NC State being careful on offense and avoiding careless mistakes gave the Pack a huge boost.
9 – Number of field goals and free throws each for sophomore Elissa Cunane. The 6-foot-5 center was a force down low, constantly bullying her way to the rim and either dropping in a layup or drawing a foul and getting to the free-throw line, where she went 9 for 11.
1 – Number of substitutions made in the entire second half. With the starters on fire out of halftime and the bench’s struggles in the first half, Moore let the starters win the game for him. Graduate guard Kaila Ealey played a brief seven minutes in the half and was the only non-starter to see the court in the second half.
Junior forward Kayla Jones shoots against Virginia Tech forward Lydia Rivers on Thursday, Jan. 2 at Reynolds Coliseum. Jones recorded 11 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the Wolfpack won 76-69.
