Since starting the month of February on a three-game winning streak, the N.C. State women’s basketball team (13-15, 5-11 ACC) has struggled to find itself on the winning side. The Wolfpack dropped its third game in a row against North Carolina (25-4, 13-3 ACC) by a score of 68-58.
“Our kids played tough,” head coach Kellie Harper said. “It was a physical game.”
Senior guard Marissa Kastanek led the way for the Wolfpack, scoring 17 points in the game. She also made three three-pointers, giving her 231 for her career and pushing her past former State player Tammy Gibson for second in school history and 14th in Atlantic Coast Conference history.
“Our game plan was not to let her shoot,” Tar Heels’ coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “If she is open, it is going in, especially if it is against Carolina. She is an extremely smart player.”
Junior forward Kody Burke led the team in rebounds with 11. She also tacked on nine points in her 36 minutes of play time.
Redshirt sophomore guard Len’Nique Brown and sophomore guard Krystal Barrett also reached double-digits in the contest against the Tar Heels. Brown scored 15 points in addition to leading the team in assists with six. Barrett added 10 points, but ended her game by fouling out with less than two minutes remaining.
UNC-Chapel Hill started the game strong. It jumped out to a seven-point advantage within the first five minutes, but the Pack started to get hot as the opening half started winding down.
With 8:49 remaining, State went on a five-minute 14-5 run and took a lead it would keep for the remainder of the period. Two baskets from beyond the arc by Kastanek brought the Pack’s lead to five with four minutes to go, its longest lead of the half. State led by a score of 33-32 at the break.
“Our energy in this game was a key aspect,” Kastanek said. “We had to match [the Heels’] defensive intensity, and the best way to do that was with our energy, both on offense and defense.”
The Pack maintained its lead once the second half began and led by at most six points in the latter period, but from 12:54 onward, the Heels exploded on a 29-13 run that cost State the lead and the game.
“Our spacing was a little bit better in the first half than in the second half,” Harper said. “At halftime, they made a few adjustments and a few minor tweaks that affected us.”
Despite outrebounding UNC-Chapel Hill 44-39, State turned the ball over 31 times as opposed to the Heels’ 21 giveaways. UNC capitalized on the free possessions and converted them into 31 points. The Pack scored 18 points off the Tar Heel’s turnovers in the game.
“[UNC-Chapel Hill] had some nice penetration and got into the paint more,” Harper said. “They looked a little bit more aggressive in the second half.”
The Heels were led by senior guard Tierra Ruffin-Pratt and senior center Waltiea Rolle, who scored 24 and 21 points respectively. Rolle added 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
State will return to action Thursday for its final home game of the season at Reynolds Coliseum against the Virginia Cavaliers (15-11, 7-8 ACC). Kastanek, the team’s lone senior, will be honored prior to the game.
“Where do you start with what Marissa means to our program and our university?” Harper said. “I have not coached at N.C. State without her, so that makes it a little tougher when your first class you have coached graduates. She has not only been a great player, but also a great ambassador for our university.”
