In Sunday’s exhibition match against North Greenville University, the outcome was never in question as the Pack routed the Crusaders 91-35 in Reynolds Coliseum, which topped the team’s 43-point victory in last year’s matchup.
The Wolfpack women opened the first half with an 8-0 run, but were quickly put to rest by a layup from NGU’s Anjelica Wilcox. From that point on, the Pack continued to dominate on the offensive end, shooting 47.6 percent from the floor and scoring 44 points in the first half. Junior Bonae Holston led State with 17 points in the first half.
“I think it feels really nice to play someone that’s not A) a guy or B) your own team,” sophomore Marissa Kastanek said. “It’s really nice to play against an actual other team with actual refs and an actual crowd. I think just to put things together and work together. Just play in a system where it’s going to be that if you make a mistake you need to keep playing because it’s a real game, it’s not practice anymore. “
State also dominated on the boards in the first half, grabbing 37 rebounds (17 offensive), compared to 12 total rebounds for NGU.
Freshman Kody Burke also stood out in her first collegiate game, pulling down six rebounds for State after starting the contest.
“I was very surprised at myself once I got into the flow, trying to get the hang of it,” Burke said.
State carried its dominance into the second half by continuing its lights-out shooting on the offensive end. The Pack shot 52.8 percent from the floor in the second half and finished at 50 percent for the game.
Burke continued to play a large role in State’s offense in the second half. She pulled down another five rebounds in the half, giving her 11 for the game. She also contributed 12 points, marking her first career double-double.
“Kody plays hard, very strong, has some athleticism, does a nice job of finishing shots around the basket and she understands the game,” coach Kellie Harper said. “She already plays above a freshman level with her intelligence. “
Aside from the big numbers the Pack recorded in the exhibition game, Harper and Co. see this game as a huge learning experience for the team going into their regular season opener.
“I think that was a good start for us,” Harper said. “I thought we did some good things. We obviously have a lot to work on, but that’s what you expect and that’s what these exhibition games do for you. They allow you to utilize the game film to improve. “
Despite the 56-point victory, Holston said the team still has many areas for improvement.
“We just have to work on the little things, make sure we’re boxing out on every shot, crashing the boards on every shot,” Holston said. “On offense we still have to execute. Tonight obviously we were bigger and stronger than this team, but when we play somebody that’s going to be bigger than us most of the time, we have to be able to execute our offense.”