The women’s basketball team shot less than 31 percent from the field in Sunday’s second round Preseason WNIT Tournament against Iona.
But, it was enough for the win as N.C. State (2-0) would force 23 turnovers and hold Iona (1-1) to 22 percent shooting in Sunday’s 59-34 win at Reynolds Coliseum – advancing the team to the semifinals against Purdue on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in West Lafayette, Ind.
The combined 93 points set a record for the lowest total score ever at a women’s basketball game held at Reynolds Coliseum. The previous record was 95 points when the Wolfpack defeated Tar Heels 51-44 in 1987.
“It was an ugly game,” coach Kay Yow said jokingly. “If I was a spectator, I would hate to watch. One team shooting 20 percent and another shooting 30 percent, you just want somebody to hit a shot. That’s the kind of game that makes you want to turn it off.”
State got out to a 23-7 lead with less than six minutes remaining in the first half, but Iona would score 12 of the next 13 points to close the gap to 24-19 at halftime.
Yow believed her substituting patters were the reason the team lost its large lead.
“In all honestly, I would say it was my substation pattern,” Yow said. “I take full responsibility for that.”
But she did say the reason for all the substitutions were because she wanted to give everyone an opportunity to play – especially with it early in the season.
“I want players to have an opportunity to get to play, get some playing time under their belts, so they’ll be ready to help,” Yow said. “I just didn’t have a great combination in.”
The Pack only lead by six points with less than 13 minutes remaining in the second half, but in the final 12 minutes, State would pull away – outscoring Iona 25-6.
Senior guard Ashley Key and junior forward Khadijah Whittington, the two returning leading scorers from last year’s team, didn’t make a field goal – combining 0-for-12 from the field.
“That is very interesting,” Yow said. “My concern is that it happens at all. Consistency is so much a part of being a great player. You have to do something that you can count on, you can be a little off, but you can’t be totally off.”
Yow said even though Key and Whittington didn’t put points on the board, she thought sophomore guard Shayla Fields and senior guard Marquetta Dickens stepped into the scoring role.
She said Dickens focused on getting shots that she knew she could finish.
“She knows her highest percentage shots and she’s taking her highest percentage – that’s why we can count on her,” Yow said.
“We got other people taking shots that they don’t take every day, and they don’t take that often. You got to know your shot selection. [Dickens] did that very well for two games back-to-back.”
Dickens said she has been looking only for certain shots. She said because she has many teammates that are good shooters, she only takes shots she knows are high percentage.
“I think I’ve been looking more at my shot selection,” Dickens said. “I’m taking better shots – high percentage shots, more than just taking any open shot.”
Fields, who went 6-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 behind the arc, was the Pack’s leading scorer with 17 points.
She had a different approach that Dickens – focus on the game defensively and hope the offensive game will put itself together.
“I just wanted to pick it up defensively,” Fields said. “I’m trying to focus on my defense right now and the offense will come.”
Next up for State is Purdue, who is ranked No. 11 in the country. In the first round, they defeated Belmont 67-43 and in the second round they beat Hartford 83-51.
Yow said her team better be prepared for the Boilermakers because they look similar to the ACC teams the Pack will play later in the season.
“Where we are going Wednesday, we better kick it in not one gear up, but we better push it all the way to the top,” Yow said.
