In a sparsely populated Reynolds Coliseum, the Wolfpack defeated Fairfield University, 76-49. The match-up was originally scheduled for Dec. 30,but was postponed due to inclement weather in the northeast.
The win Tuesday night brought N.C. State’s all-time record against one another to 3-0. Coach Kellie Harper saw the rescheduling as a blessing in disguise.
“The Lord works in mysterious ways,” Harper said. “That snow storm might have been just for N.C. State. We didn’t have a good crowd tonight since it was an add-on to our schedule. We feed off of the energy of our crowd and that was a little of the factor tonight.”
The Stags came into the game as the highest ranked team in the nation in scoring defense, only allowing 48 points per game. Harper attributed the scoring success to the team’s strong offense.
“We handled the ball really well,” Harper said. “Our decision making was pretty good on the offensive end. We got the ball going a little faster and it made our offense better.”
After a shaky beginning and a back-and-forth battle with eight lead changes and two ties, the Pack pulled away and finished the half in the lead by 13. Junior forward Bonae Holston led the way for State with 13 points and 5 rebounds. The team’s three-point and free-throw percentages were both at 60 percent. State finished the half with a comfortable lead at 40-27.
The second half saw a rejuvenated offense from the Pack, which came out and dominated the Stag defense. Holston continued her run and finished the game one rebound shy of a double-double with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Perhaps the most influential injection into the game came from freshmen guard Myisha Goodwin-Coleman.
“Myisha got our tempo right on track in the second half,” Harper said. “When you have a kid like Myisha make one and she gets hot then she makes a couple more.”
Myisha recognized her contribution to the game as well.
“I’m getting used to the level of competition,” Goodwin-Coleman said. “This is the highest level that anyone can ask to play. No one is going to get as hungry as the Wolfpack. Each and every day. Practice, off the court, film, weightlifting. Whatever it is, we work hard.”
The victory over the Stags ended a five-game losing streak for the Pack. Harper was elated for her team to finally get a breather after a hectic schedule the last few weeks.
“We’re excited to be walking out of here with the win,” Harper said. “I’m proud of the kids. It may not have been our best game or our prettiest game but we played hard and we found a way to win. Our kids just look tired. The toll they’ve been through in the last week, both mentally and physically, I thought showed up. But they didn’t cave in. They played hard and played through it. They get a well deserved break tomorrow.”
Freshman guard Devin Griffin looks forward to the break in the schedule but is more excited for the upcoming match-up against Maryland despite the Terrapins’ height advantage.
“We’re hungry and if our hearts are bigger it doesn’t matter how big they are,” Griffin said. “We’re going to go get it if we want it. And we do.”
