Danny Boemermann
Tears rolled down Ashley Key’s face as she walked through confetti, streamers, balloons and the entire North Carolina team.
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For someone who described herself as “not a very emotional person,” this weekend really knocked her emotions into gear – once again during Sunday’s loss against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament championship game.
After the game, she said the team didn’t have a lot to talk about. N.C. State thought about the 60-54 loss – a loss to a team it had previous defeated in Reynolds Coliseum on Feb. 16.
“Everybody’s just quiet,” Key said while holding back tears. “We lost a big game we wanted to win.”
The senior guard sat in front of the media with red eyes and a red nose. She only looked up to answer questions and then immediately put her head back down.
She took a few moments to look over at coach Kay Yow, who struggled through sentences. At one point in the press conference, Key watched Yow stop and get water from the moderator before she could answer a question.
Yow coughed for more than half a minute and had a hard time saying a word before she started to answer the reporter’s question. She explained how the strained voice was because of a combination of last Wednesday’s chemo and three straight days of games.
“I’m just doing the best I can, that’s what I’m about,” Yow said. “Just like I want the team to be about – just give their best.”
After the game, Key said she was disappointed with her performance in the final minute of the game. With the score at 55-52, Key and North Carolina senior guard Ivory Latta faced off. Latta made a move, drove to the basket and finished with a lay up.
That’s all Key could think about during the press conference.
“The defensive play that I didn’t get – Latta made a good play and she scored,” Key said. “I just wish I had that moment back.”
But Yow didn’t want Key, who finished on the first team of the ACC All-Tournament team, to take all the blame. Yow pointed to the passion that Key played with throughout the tournament. Yow then blamed herself for playing Key too much.
“In her defense, 40 minutes was tough. Looking back, maybe I should have given her a little break. But she’s doing such a great job and she’s such a key defender for us,” Yow said. “I just felt like we needed her.”
In the locker room, each player sat alone and didn’t say too much. They dressed quietly and a few players talked with reporters. Senior forward Sasha Reaves said the team has to take the emotions and confidence to the next round – the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re ready to play in the NCAA’s and put this behind us,” Reaves said. “This should be a big confidence booster for us. We played with two of the top teams in the country. That should be a lot of motivation for us.”