N.C. State returned to winning ways and in the process matched last season’s win total in its 85-76 triumph over the Boston College Eagles on Thursday evening in Reynolds Coliseum. The No. 23 Wolfpack never trailed and improves to 17-3 overall, 4-2 in the ACC.
With the win, State also matches its victory total from last season, when the Pack finished 17-17 and lost in the second round of the WNIT.
The inside duo of senior center Markeisha Gatling and senior forward Kody Burke proved too much for Boston College to overcome. Gatling finished with a game-high 27 points and eight rebounds, while the two-time Academic All-American Burke tallied 24 points and hauled down 11 boards–her third double-double of the season and 15th for her career. The pair went a combined 19-for-29 from the floor and pulled down 10 of the Pack’s 14 offensive rebounds.
State got off to a hot start and torched the Boston College zone defense by scoring the game’s first nine points and opening up a 15-2 lead less than four minutes into the contest.
“We found the open man in the zone that they were in,” Burke said. “When we distribute the ball while they’re in the zone, someone is going to be open. I feel like we found the open person.”
The Eagles were not deterred and used hot three-point shooting to draw within two points at halftime. Boston College connected on 13-of-28 three-pointers in the game, with eight coming in the opening half.
“You have got give Boston College a lot of credit,” N.C. State head coach Wes Moore said. “They shot the lights out. I thought in the first half we were playing fundamental defense, but Boston College did a great job of swinging the ball and finding the open person.”
With 14:49 remaining, N.C. State led 48-46 after a pair of Boston College free throws. The Pack, who never trailed throughout the game’s entirety, then went on a 14-3 run over the next five minutes to open up a 13 point lead and were never again seriously threatened.
“We were impressed with Coach Moore and his team on film,” Boston College head coach Erik Johnson said. “I am even more impressed having played them. Both Burke and Gatling were just too much inside.”
The win improves the Wolfpack to 11-0 for the campaign on Kay Yow Court in Reynolds Coliseum. Coming off a loss in Coral Gables, Fla. to Miami on Sunday, N.C. State is 1-2 on the road in league play and Moore, while happy with the outcome, said he wants to see better production from his team on its travels as State enters the heart of the conference season, beginning Sunday at Georgia Tech.
“I did not know how we would respond, obviously it was a disappointing loss Sunday on the road,” Moore said. “This team has shown some resilience and played really well at home, we have got to take that to Atlanta with us. I don’t like trading wins at home. Georgia Tech is going to be a tough matchup for us.”
Last season, State earned one of its two road conference victories on the campaign when the Wolfpack defeated Georgia Tech in Atlanta, 78-66.
The game versus the Yellow Jackets at McCamish Pavillion is set to tipoff at 2 p.m.
