NC State women’s basketball defeated Vanderbilt 74-54 Thursday night at Reynolds Coliseum to continue the Wolfpack’s season-opening win streak.
The Wolfpack (3-0) struggled in the first quarter against the Commodores (1-3), but used the second quarter to pull ahead, allowing only eight points. The Pack scored 20 points in the third quarter, increasing its lead against the Commodores to 57-39. The Commodores made one last effort to come back, but the Pack was too far ahead and outscored them 17-15 in the fourth quarter.
“Just really proud of our effort,” head coach Wes Moore said. “We had a lot of energy. Really excited about the second quarter when defensively, we held them to eight points. Thought our defense created a lot of offense for us. We were able to get out and run and really got a transition game going. Also the fact that we got a lot of people contributing.”
Redshirt junior guard Grace Hunter made the first basket of the night with only three seconds left on the shot clock. Hunter drove into the paint, drew a foul and made one of her foul shots.
After graduate guard Kiera Leslie’s layup to tie the score at three, junior guard Aislinn Konig made the pass on a fast break to Hunter for a layup to put the Pack back in the lead at 5-3.
Vanderbilt took control of the game and managed to take the lead 13-9, but Konig swooped in with 25 seconds left in the first quarter for a 3-point basket to put the Pack ahead 16-15.
Two minutes into the second quarter, Konig jump-started the Wolfpack with a steal and a full-court layup just before Leslie knocked down a 3-point shot. Vanderbilt was cornered into taking a timeout to try and slow down the Pack’s advances.
The Wolfpack didn’t relent though and continued its 10-0 run to get ahead 28-17 after first quarter adjustments.
“I think our defense transitioning into offense,” freshman center Elissa Cunane said. “We really started to push the ball and look out for each other. Those easy points really boost our energy and that was the difference in the scoring.”
The Wolfpack quickly responded to a 6-0 run from Vanderbilt with a heavy hand as Konig, Leslie and sophomore forward Kayla Jones made 3-point baskets. Konig made two of her of 3-pointers in the third quarter as the onslaught of perimeter attacks put the Pack in the lead 55-39.
Leslie had a strong game, putting up 21 points at 64 percent from the field and 60 percent from behind the arc. She also added five assists and seven rebounds.
Vanderbilt’s Cierra Walker carried her team’s counterattack, knocking down four 3-point baskets. Walker was the Commodores’ top scorer with 17 points.
The Pack held on to its lead as Konig made the last shot of the night, a 3-pointer to put the Pack up 20 points at 74-54.
“Gotta cut out the turnovers, I’m disappointed in that,” Moore said. “Especially when you have a lead and you’re in the fourth quarter you don’t want to turn it over and you don’t want to foul and we did those things. There’s a lot we can still clean up and get better at.”
The Wolfpack will play against Radford at Reynolds Coliseum Sunday at 2 p.m.
