With hundreds of local elementary school students in attendance on Education Day, NC State taught Maine a couple of things about defense en route to a 62-34 win Tuesday morning.
Maine had no offensive rhythm the entire game, connecting on 6 of 30 3-pointers, a 20% clip, and was 15 for 57 from the floor. The Black Bears had only one player get to double-digits in points and held Blanca Millan, who was averaging almost 25 points per game coming into today, to just eight points.
“Really proud of the defensive effort,” said head coach Wes Moore. “I thought, especially the first half, we were really locked in … Our guards did a great job and chasing them off picks and chasing them off handoffs, so they couldn’t really get comfortable and then our post did a great job when they did try to curl and turn the corner …”
To start the game, Maine’s gameplan looked like it was to get the 3-point shooting going early, taking five 3-pointers in the first quarter and missing all of them. The Black Bears were also called for a shot-clock violation twice in the first four minutes, while barely getting the ball inside the 3-point line.
For the first half, the opposing team shot 2 of 10 from deep and 4 for 25 from the floor. NC State also outrebounded the Black Bears 23-13 in the first half. The Pack’s man-to-man defense forced contested shots on almost every possession, and while Maine had a slow day from deep, NC State’s defense deserves most of the credit for that.
As the Wolfpack picked up on Maine’s plan to shoot a lot from 3, the defense continued to move up the court, creating more difficult shots that the Black Bears could not hit. All morning, Pack guards were able to get above screens and stay in the ballhandler’s face.
“We knew from when we played them before and from film that they’re great shooters,” said sophomore center Elissa Cunance. “So our guards, they did an amazing job tonight on defense, just staying active, and we knew the five couldn’t help that much because they’re four or five players could shoot too so we just had to stay out on them.”
The second half consisted of much of the same story, with Maine shooting 9 for 41 by the end of the third quarter. Maine didn’t stray away from shooting 3’s, but it continued to struggle from that line, reaching 4 for 22 before the fourth quarter. Even on a day where NC State wasn’t totally sharp on offense, the Pack shot 22 for 58 (37.9%) from the floor and 5 of 18 (27.8) from deep. NC State also outrebounded Maine 50-31.
Another way to keep points off the board is by staying disciplined. NC State certainly did that, collecting only five fouls in four quarters with three coming from freshman guard Kendal Moore off the bench. Maine had 14 fouls and that let to 13-for-15 shooting from the free-throw line for NC State.
“We talk all the time about allowing them to miss,” Moore said. “Instead of trying to block shots and leaving your feet, stay down and keep your hands straight up instead of angling little down. I think last year we were No. 2 in the country in fewest fouls behind UConn so it’s definitely something that we want to focus on and make people hit jump shots instead of putting them on foul line.”
In the Wes Moore era, the fewest number of points allowed in a game was 31, a mark NC State was so close to breaking as it entered the third quarter with only 22 points allowed. Unfortunately for NC State, Maine scored 12 fourth-quarter points to eclipse 31 as the Wolfpack took the foot off the gas.
“I think we’re very confident,” Cunane said. “Our confidence has been growing with every single game. Defense, we harp on that so much. Our offense is going to come. You’re going to have nights you can shoot the ball and not, but defense is what’s going to win you games. So I think on the road it’s going to be a lot tougher being other teams’ home court.”
Next for NC State women’s basketball will be a trip to Moraga, California to face St. Mary’s on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 5 p.m.
Junior guard Aislinn Konig directs the offense against Iowa on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Greensboro Coliseum. Konig recorded 10 points on 4-7 shooting along with five assists. The Wolfpack lost to the Hawkeyes 79-61.
