With three minutes remaining in the first half, senior forward Marquetta Dickens wasn’t going to let history repeat itself for N.C. State (24-9), who had lost in the first round of the last three NCAA Tournaments.
Until that point Dickens had single-handedly outscored No. 13-seed Robert Morris (24-8), scoring 14 of the Wolfpack’s 34 total points and guiding State to its largest halftime lead of the season with a 23-point margin.
By game’s end Dickens had accumulated a career-high 25 points and led the Pack to its first trip past the first round of the tournament since 2001.
While the memories of the past three tournament disappointments were on the minds of the six seniors on the team, Dickens said the biggest motivation for her career-high performance was coach Yow.
“We have a lot to spark us every day,” Dickens said, “We have a lot of respect for coach Yow and what she has done for this program. To be able to play for her is motivation in itself.”
In addition to the inspiration Yow has provided all season with her battle against breast cancer, the team was also motivated Sunday by the State faithful who made it to the nearby RBC Center.
Yow, who was welcomed onto the court with a standing ovation before the start of the game, said the fan turnout was “overwhelming,” but she also encouraged more fans to show up on Tuesday for the Pack’s second round game.
“I was so pleased with the number of fans we had come out today,” Yow said,”I was so humbled and honored and grateful for the reception that they gave me and the way that they cheered the team on. It was so uplifting and inspirational for all of us.”
According to senior forward Sasha Reaves it wasn’t just State fans at the game that offered inspiration for the team — the small number of Patriot fans present, whether they knew it or not, gave inspiration as well.
“Anywhere we go when coach Yow comes out, everybody, no matter what school, shows support for coach Yow,” Reaves said.
“When she came out they just looked at her like she was just another coach. We talked about it in the huddle before the game, and we just wanted to take it to them.”
The Pack, who last played a game against North Carolina two weeks ago in the ACC Tournament championship, shot 57.8 percent for the game, while holding Robert Morris to 30.9 percent shooting and causing 23 turnovers.
Yow said having the gap between games was beneficial, but it was also a relief to see the team shake off the rust and execute so well on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
“We needed the rest physically, and we needed it mentally and emotionally as well,” Yow said, “We had to come out and get back in a rhythm, and get back to playing the way we have been playing.”
Now that State has passed the first-round obstacle that has hindered them the past three years, they will now look ahead to their second-round game against No. 5-seed Baylor (25-7) who defeated No. 12-seed Tennessee Chattanooga on Sunday.
Yow said the Bears will present a challenge to the Pack because of their athleticism, but if the team can stay focused then a national championship isn’t out of the question, for a team that has defeated two of the No. 1=seeds in the tournament — Duke and No. Carolina.
“We know we have to play our best every game,” Yow said, “There are six games, so you can’t falter in any of those games — you have to be on top of your game for every single one of them.”
