The NC State women’s basketball team didn’t rest during the Thanksgiving holiday. NC State took on three teams, winning two out of three games in the Fort Lauderdale Tournament in Florida.
The Pack (6-1) defeated Old Dominion, 73-56, and Alabama, 68-49. The team faced its first loss of the season against South Dakota State, 75-67.
On Nov. 20, the Wolfpack took on its first opponent for the week, Old Dominion.
The Wolfpack started off strong, leading the Monarchs 23-9 by the end of the first quarter. Throughout the game, the Pack was able to gain 15 points off of turnovers and 42 points in the paint.
Old Dominion made adjustments in the second quarter however, scoring 27 points and tying up the game 36-36 at halftime. Sophomore guard Lucky Rudd faced foul trouble during the contest, with four fouls.
The Wolfpack had a fair shooting percentage, averaging 54.5 percent from the field, while the Pack only converted 25 percent of its shots from beyond the arc. Senior forward Chelsea Nelson scored 17 points followed by redshirt junior guard Kiara Leslie who scored 15 points.
The Wolfpack put a stop to Old Dominion’s offense by allowing the Monarchs to score only 3 points in the third quarter. Redshirt sophomore guard Kaila Ealey was a strong part of the Pack’s defense as nine of her 12 rebounds on the defensive end.
The Wolfpack closed out the fourth quarter with 18 points, winning the game by 17.
Following its victory against Old Dominion, the Wolfpack faced off against Alabama to win 68-49 on Thursday.
Similar to its previous match, the Wolfpack created a comfortable 22-8 lead within the first quarter against the Crimson Tide.
The Wolfpack averaged less than 50 percent from the floor but Nelson made up for the Pack’s struggles at the charity stripe. Nelson would go on to convert eight of her 10 attempts from the line.
Despite an average night for the Pack from deep, sophomore guard Aislinn Konig made four of her six 3-pointers. Konig’s 12 points from beyond the arc added to her overall point total of 17.
The second quarter was closer in score, but thanks to senior center Akela Maize’s team-leading 20 total points, the Pack managed to stay ahead.
The defense shined once again in the Fort Lauderdale Tournament and helped NC State close out this one. The Pack managed to rack up 21 points off 13 Crimson Tide turnovers.
At 2-0 in the tourney, the Wolfpack was brought down to earth, suffering a humbling loss to South Dakota State.
In the first frame NC State limped out of the gate and faced a 10-point deficit. Its field goal percentage was under 40, but the Wolfpack stayed within striking distance due to a strong free-throw percentage.
The Pack barely managed to lessen the point gap in the second quarter with the Jackrabbits leading by eight points, 33-25.
Despite the shooting statistics, four players managed to score double-digit points. Starters Ealey, Konig, Nelson and Maize made 16, 15, 14 and 10 points, respectively. The team as a whole also managed seven steals.
The beginning of the second half wasn’t kind to the Pack either. South Dakota State outscored NC State in the third, and hit foul trouble again. Rudd fouled out and Nelson and Leslie had four fouls apiece.
Throughout the game, Leslie and Nelson were the team’s main rebounders with each eight rebounds.
The fourth quarter was a turning point as the Wolfpack scored 24 points, two more points than South Dakota. But the effort was too little, too late as the Jackrabbits sealed their victory.
