GREENSBORO – The last time the NC State women’s basketball team played Florida State, it left Tallahassee, Florida with a 75-70 loss and a season-ending knee injury to a starting forward, junior Erika Cassell.
It was a different story Friday night in the Pack’s first game of the ACC Tournament, as NC State toppled the Seminoles 69-62 thanks in big part to another great performance from freshman forward Elissa Cunane, who has become a star for the Wolfpack since taking over for Cassell in the starting lineup.
Cunane came up one rebound shy of her third double-double of the year, tallying 22 points and nine rebounds in a dominant showing against the ‘Noles. Cunane set the tone for NC State early, grabbing eight of the Pack’s first 10 points, and continued to be a problem that Florida State had no answer for throughout the game. For a freshman playing in her first postseason game, the pressure didn’t seem to get to Cunane.
“I was nervous before the game, but as soon as I stepped on the court those just disappeared,” Cunane said. “It’s just playing the game of basketball like I do every single day.”
For an NC State team that has seen four players suffer season-ending knee injuries, Cunane has been a late-season spark that has helped the Pack continue to play like one of the best teams in the country. Since joining the starting lineup, Cunane is averaging 17.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. She’s an efficient scorer, shooting 51.4 percent from the field during that stretch.
“We had a lot of injuries happen, and it really gave Elissa the opportunity to step up and, like she said, make an impact in a really big way,” junior guard Aislinn Konig said. “It takes a lot of pressure off of us as a team to know that we can feed it down there and she’s going to take care of the ball, and most likely score. It definitely changes the way we play and we have a lot of confidence in her.”
Cunane’s late-season breakout really began in that first Florida State game, where she played 31 minutes and scored 25 points to keep the Pack close to the ‘Noles. The loss at FSU marked the first game in a three-game stretch that Cunane had at least 20 points, highlighted by a 28-point performance in a loss to No. 5 Notre Dame. She has stepped up in the big games for the Pack, and Friday night was no different.
“I just think that during those games, I’ve had the opportunity to step up and my teammates have done a great job finding me,” Cunane said. “It does mean a lot to me to be able to impact my team.”
Now Cunane is fully a part of the Pack’s offensive identity, and Friday night she showed out in front of a friendly crowd. Cunane is from nearby Summerfield, and went to high school at Northern Guilford in Greensboro, and the NC State-heavy crowd let its appreciation of the hometown star be known throughout.
“It’s a huge deal. It means so much to me to be here in my hometown,” Cunane said. “It is very exciting. Off the court, I’ve just been so excited. I’ve seen my family and stuff like that. Also, just to play basketball with this team, that’s also exciting.”
Cunane’s first taste of postseason action was an overwhelming success and if the Pack hopes to keep winning it’s going to need big showings from its breakout first-year forward. For Cunane, the excitement of carrying on with this team is driving her forward.
“With this team right now, what we’re doing is special,” Cunane said. “It means a lot to me and I’m excited to see where we go.”
