The NC State women’s basketball team knocked off the Florida State Seminoles 68-48 inside Reynolds Coliseum on Thursday, Feb. 3 in a strong 3-point shooting display.
Though the Wolfpack (20-3, 11-1 ACC) got off to somewhat of a slow start, NC State was able to ride 11 made 3-pointers to the blowout victory. At times, the Wolfpack offense would sputter, but the Seminoles (10-10, 4-6 ACC) could never get things settled, shooting just 33% from the floor and committing 14 turnovers in the matchup against a stout Pack defense.
“Just really proud of our defensive effort,” said head coach Wes Moore. “You know, Florida State has a lot of weapons. They’re long, they’re athletic, obviously, Morgan Jones, a great player, they’ve got size. So again, [I was] a bit concerned coming in where we just had really one day to prepare. … I thought our players did a great job of defending at home and a pretty good job on the boards too, considering they’re so long and athletic. … Again, good effort on a quick turnaround.”
NC State got some great performances from several members of its roster, including graduate guard Raina Perez, who finished with 11 points and tied a season high with eight assists. Junior wing Jakia Brown-Turner continued her hot streak, finishing with her fifth consecutive game in double figures and tying her season high in 3-pointers made.
“That’s exactly my model and that’s been it for the whole season,” Brown-Turner said. “Doing the little things, playing defense hard. And I know when I play defense, my offense will come.”
In total 33 of NC State’s 68 points came from beyond the arc, with Perez finding many shooters open in the corner. At one point, that figure stood at 30 of 48 points coming from 3.
“I thought Raina Perez had an unbelievable game, hit some big 3s,” Moore said. “We’re better when she’s out there running the show, you know, eight assists, two turnovers. [The other night I] probably should have had her in more down the stretch, fourth quarter and things like that. So as a coach, you got to learn from it and try to fix it. So I thought she did a great job.”
The Wolfpack ran some great offensive sets, getting shooters out on the wing and using Perez to drive to the baseline and zip the pass over to the corner. Graduate guard Kai Crutchfield and graduate forward Kayla Jones were also great from 3, combining to shoot 4 for 6 from distance.
“I think I was just reading the defense and then my teammates were just knocking down shots,” Perez said. “But yeah, just reading the defense better today.”
In a game full of season highs, one player did see a season low. Sophomore guard Diamond Johnson finished the contest having played just 13 minutes one game after setting her season high in minutes. However, that minute mark came in a disappointing loss to Notre Dame that saw Johnson shoot just 6 of 23 from the floor. According to Moore, the coach spoke with Johnson and all the other lead guards about getting teammates more involved.
Senior center Elissa Cunane was more involved, but still not involved enough, according to Moore. Cunane has just 12 shot attempts in her last two games, making nine of them. The starting center finished this game with 11 points and six boards.
Even though the Wolfpack’s offense wasn’t clicking on all fronts — it shot just 42.3% on 2-pointers, had 13 turnovers and was outscored on the fast break — it was able to lock in on defense and force some uncomfortable offense for Florida State. The Seminoles’ leading scorer on the season, Morgan Jones, was held to her second-lowest scoring figure on the season on 3 of 10 shooting. Only one Seminole, O’Mariah Gordon, finished in double figures, as opposed to four from the Pack. Florida State also shot just 4 of 14 from deep.
Junior forward Jada Boyd was a huge reason for the defensive shutdown, finishing the game with seven points, a steal, a block and some solid hustle plays.
A strong first quarter gave the Wolfpack the buffer it needed for the remainder of the contest, with Perez notching four assists in the period, and the Pack connected on 6 of 8 3-pointers. After the Seminoles got out to an early 5-0 lead, the Wolfpack went on a 24-7 run for the remainder of the quarter behind the 3-point barrage.
“That was great to see,” Moore said. “And just, we set that tone like that. You know, I just think it’s contagious. And everybody feels more confident, more comfortable. So hopefully, we continue to do that. And we shoot the ball so well normally, that if we take care of the ball and get shots, we’re gonna be alright.
However, things didn’t go as smoothly in the second quarter, as the Wolfpack allowed the Seminoles to inch back into the contest. NC State made just two shots in the second and was outscored 13-9 in the period. Despite not scoring for over six minutes of game time, the Pack still led by eight points by half.
After the break, the Pack did what it did effectively: locking in on defense and making great passes, leading to good shots in transition and beyond the arc. NC State rode a 20-10 third quarter to a huge lead that it maintained for the rest of regulation.
The victory brings a more-than-welcomed break for the players, as the Wolfpack has played in three games in the last five nights, leading to that Notre Dame loss. With just six games left in the season, any time to rest will be beneficial for the Pack.
“I think we’re just pushing through,” Perez said. “I mean, I know our bodies are tired and we’re probably mentally tired as well. But just knowing that we have an off day tomorrow I think we’re just all looking forward to that.”
Next up, NC State remains at home for its 17th annual Play4Kay game, this year’s matchup against No. 12 Georgia Tech led by Lorela Cubaj, who has given the Pack problems in the past. That game takes place on Monday, Feb. 7 and tips at 6 p.m. The game can be viewed on ESPN2.
“Georgia Tech’s probably the biggest, toughest team, definitely in ACC, but maybe in the country,” Moore said. “They lead the country in scoring defense. … We’re going to need the defense that we had tonight and hopefully be able to grind out enough offense against them to get it done. But gotta keep growing, evolving as a team and try to be playing our best ball in March. We’re not doing that yet so hopefully, we’ll figure it out.”
