The women’s basketball team (7-1) went into Thursday night’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge game against Illinois in a similar position as the Fighting Illini.

Both teams had suffered only one loss going into the contest and considered the nonconference game an important measurement of early season growth against a “good” opponent, coach Kay Yow said.

The Wolfpack’s suffocating defense was the difference in Thursday’s 61-47 home win, according to Yow.

“We won it with our defense,” Yow said. “We had to score points, obviously, to win. But I thought it was our defense that was dominant in this game.”

Though the game began close, with eight lead changes early in the first half, the Pack pulled away with a 20-6 run to end the half. That run, according to Yow, was a direct result of “intense” defense, particularly from the guards.

“We kept our intensity up on defense, and we got a few easy baskets,” Yow said. “Our intensity on defense payed off for us as the half got along, the later it got in the half.”

Yow was particularly impressed with the defensive intensity from her bench players, specifically sophomore guard Amber White, she said.

“We just stuck with our man defense, and they did a great job,” Yow said. “[They played with] great intensity when they came out, they kept the tempo of the game up, people who came off the bench kept it up and we didn’t drop to another level.”

Offensively, the Pack was lead by senior forward Khadijah Whittington, who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds and recorded her eighth double-double in eight games this season.

Whittington also made her presence known defensively, grabbing three steals and blocking two shots. The team forced four shot clock violations on Illinois, a task Whittington said is the goal on every defensive possession.

“That’s the purpose of our defense; that’s what we try to do every time, and I think we did a good job,” Whittington said. “I think our guards did a good job of denying, and just taking the passing lanes away. I think we did a good job of that tonight and just flying around.”

Though Whittington’s contributions have become expected of the pre-season All-ACC forward, Yow said she was pleased with the play of Whittington’s backup, sophomore center Chanita Jordan, who played her “best game” of the her young career. Jordan scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and emerged as a defensive threat in the post, recording a block and a steal.

“We need her to keep getting better,” Yow said. “Really, to be a contender, we need her help. If she can just continue to get better, it can make a difference.”

Though Yow was pleased with her team’s effort in a game that began a “tough” three-game stretch that will include contests against Temple and Xavier this week, she understands that her team still has room for growth before ACC competition begins.

“This is a team that can continue to improve,” Yow said. “They have a lot of room for improvement in a lot of areas. I think if they continue to work hard in fundamental areas they can become a really good team.”

By the Numbers: N.C. State vs. Illinois

2 State held Illinois to only two second-chance points5 State only allowed five offensive boards12 Rebounds for Khadijah Whittington as she recorded yet another double-double17 Number of turnovers for Illinois21 Bench points for Illinois28 Points in the paint for the Pack

–Nick Jeffreys