The No. 23 NC State women’s basketball team fell to No. 4 Louisville 64-59 in the semifinal game of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro on Saturday.
A great defensive game overall caused a tough shooting day for the Pack (24-8, 11-5 ACC), which only shot 38.9 percent from the field. Louisville (31-2, 15-1 ACC) used its size to pound the ball inside, outscoring NC State 38-26 in the paint and forcing 10 turnovers.
“Tough day. We struggled. Struggled to score the ball,” head coach Wes Moore said. “I feel like I need to try to help them a little more somehow, some way, get better looks.”
NC State outplayed Louisville for the majority of the first half with a strong start from senior forward Chelsea Nelson. She scored seven points in the first five minutes to help keep with Louisville’s pace in the first quarter. State outscored the Cardinals 18-12, with a tough defense that held Louisville without a point in the last three minutes of the opening quarter.
The defensive battle continued into the second quarter, where both teams fought for any open shot they could get. NC State got very few open looks, making it especially difficult from behind the arc. Louisville was able to force a couple of turnovers in the final three minutes of the half to go on a 7-0 run. The Cardinals scored 12 points on their 10 forced turnovers.
“I think they really turned up the heat probably midway through the second quarter,” Moore said. “I thought they really got aggressive with their defense, were physical.”
Nelson led all players with 12 points at the break, but the Wolfpack was down 32-31. Neither team had a player with multiple fouls, so all players were available for the second half. This was a change for the Pack, since Nelson was forced to sit for most of the first half in Friday’s win against Duke.
The shooting struggles continued for NC State in the second half. The Pack made just four 3-pointers on 18 attempts for the game. Sophomore guard Aislinn Konig was 1 for 7 from that range despite shooting 35.1 percent on the season.
Senior center Akela Maize found her stride in the third quarter, where she scored six of her 14 points. She also had six offensive rebounds in the game, four more than any other player. Maize and Nelson, who finished with 20 points, contributed to most of State’s success. Together, the duo had 34 points and 17 rebounds.
“We just took our time and tried to be as efficient as possible,” Nelson said. “And when we did see a double [team] coming to where we couldn’t score, we would kick and our teammates would knock it down.”
State was in striking distance entering the fourth quarter, down 47-44. Louisville used the pick-and-roll offense with forward Sam Fuehring effectively all game, but it shined in the fourth quarter to keep the Cards on top.
NC State was down six with under one minute left to play when the Pack started fouling. Louisville was able to convert 3 of 4 free throws in the final 15 seconds to ice the game and advance to the ACC Championship game on Sunday.
NC State’s loss finishes its weekend, but the Pack will still have an opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament. The Pack is still hoping to host the first round, but needs a top-four seeding in the tournament to do so.
“That’s out of our hands,” Moore said. “I think this team’s proven that they are definitely worthy of a good seeding. Beaten some good teams. Gone toe-to-toe in this league with some of the best teams in the country.
NC State will find out where it plays the first round during the NCAA Women’s Tournament Selection Show on Monday, March 12.
Senior forward Chelsea Nelson shoots a free throw at the ACC women's basketball semifinal against Louisville in Greensboro Coliseum on Saturday. The Wolfpack lost to the Cardinals with a final score of 64-59.
